Creative Journey
Creative Journey
December 2024
Prep for 2025 begins today...I've discovered the tools I need for the big changes to come this Spring...I'll be ready...!!! I've been working on this since the early 90's. The time has come!
Pick one skill and increase it today. Find a skill that matters and do one single thing that will increase your ability to do it. Make this today’s priority, must do. Make sure it’s an obvious choice and make sure it matters so it will give you the enthusiasm to continue and improve. Your biggest goals require daily effort, if they are truly important to you.
Get busy with your Life Purpose goals. Life is short, time passes, get busy with your life purpose in whatever way you understand it. Start small, but START! The new year brings all of the possibility for a power year of doing your thing…start with the down time and get a routine that works for you each day. Make it a priority, be systematic and document the growth.
Just BE. There are moments when the only goal needs to be...just being... Do nothing, don’t work on anything, just hang with yourself and with your peeps. Leave all the striving to another moment and learn to just be.
Share your life with one person. Find someone to share your deepest life with. Share your fear, joys, hopes... the sharing will free you, free them and help you both feel deeply heard. One of the most important components of a full life is a safe person to share with...find that person...!
Stand up and be counted. Courage is not found these days. When there’s a clear injustice, stand up and be counted...do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. Some things are so clear that it just needs to be called out. Have the courage, use your support systems and do the right thing!
Clarity is important for harmony. Conflicts can only be resolved through clarity and consistency. Say what you mean, back up what you say and let it stand there. If you give rope to people who manipulate they will stretch as far as you let them. Be firm, clear and stick to your guns...
Get started today with your new year routine. Get a running start to your new routine, get started today. Make progress today on something that will be key for next year. Start with something simple, start today...the new year is coming fast!
Reflect on a powerful year. Spend a moment reflecting on the year you’ve been through, the ups and downs that brought you to this point. It’s exciting to see the progress and know that there’s more where that came from! Before starting all of the plans for next year, rest in the joy of accomplishment. Thank the people you need to thank and get ready for what’s to come...it will be great!
Celebrate your peeps this holiday season. Look at your loved ones and really appreciate their place in your life. Support them, be kind, show love make memories and enjoy them to the max. These days don’t come back so take it while you have it!
Take the time to read the directions! Many of your issues are because you just don’t take the time to read the directions and learn your tools. If you invest the time learning from the start, your investments will work for you rather than frustrate you...!
Be open to surprises. We plan our best and then the Universe throws us a curve, gives us another option, removes options...we adjust and find out it was best even if we were disappointed at the time. Keep to your goals but be open to wonderful surprises and better options.
Soak up your loved ones. Experience what it’s like to just BE and hang out with your loved ones. Soak up the love and joy of just being together. Let them be them, let you be you and just relax together...let go of the agendas and just do what’s in front of you that seems fun to do...
Get one thing figured out today. Pick an important skill and figure it out...take the time, get there. There’s that one thing that you’ve always wanted to do...go and do it! Damnit! Rid yourself of your excuses for a moment and JUST DO IT!
Resistance may mean your touching a pain point...keep pushing you’re on the right track! When unexpected resistance comes up...you may be getting to the source of the problem. Keep going, see where it leads and don’t be deterred, you may be getting very close to the source.
The Universe is giving you the contacts you need. Don’t be surprised when unusual contacts come together and provide the next steps. Watch for interesting synchronicities. Watch for connections with your past, your goals, your needs, your passion for other competences that cross with your current goals...it’s all very magic...let it happen and follow it.
Get your stressors done so you can work on the important. Knock out your stressors, do the work things that you need to get off your plate. Focus on the things that touch your passion and give you happiness, energy and forward movement.
Clean and organize your relationships. Your time is precious, make sure you’re spending it with important, positive people who are part of your future, where you want to be, who you want to be. Let go of the past attachments, reevaluate who you spend time with and invest in the future you want.
Clean and organize your workspace. Clutter and confusion in your work-creative space is an indication of your own clutter, confusion, disorganization and lack of clarity. Change your outer world as you focus your inner world to get more done and love what your life
Clean and organize your mental space. Get clear about your goals and simplify your approach. Your inner clarity and organization will become part of your whole life: workspace, creative space, home, relationships, work contacts, customer contacts...you’ll be better for it.
Develop Friendships that share passions. The best friends are those who share a passion with you. It’s great to support each other, learn from each other and help each other grow. Develop your network and find projects you can share to deepen the groove.
Focus on an important thing and stick with it. Find a crucial skill/task and dig deep today. Make it a single thing so that you actually make some progress. Use tools that you haven’t used for a while and enjoy doing it! We buy things and forget why we did, what the purpose was...USE your stuff rather than buying more!
Focus on Gratitude today. Spend a day being thankful for all the good in your life. Write it down, use self-talk, get your mind focused on it... Be grateful for your goals too... Let gratitude lead your way...
Develop your mobile Rig... These days the digital technology makes small production rigs very affordable... The advantage is that you can work everywhere in the home, on the road, in a coffee house and get more done and enjoy your surroundings to inspire you... Get your workflow in miniature so you’re mobile.
Focus on the positive... The negativity of the world can really do a number on your own peace of mind. Decide to take a day of focusing exclusively on the positive. See if you can do it, see if you can focus on only what matters to you for a day...journal the result.
Let go of your excuses. This moment has arrived and it’s time to move forward. Begin by losing the excuses...just look for the challenge, put the time in and make it happen. If your rusty, afraid, insecure...push forward and see your confidence grow as you improve...look for improvement and the joy of actually doing your art.
Commit to learning the core skills. Identify the core skills that will make your creative process come together and get busy learning it. Discover the joy of making progress, of enjoying your art and living your purpose...the time has finally come!
2025 starts today...Decide to do it differently. Break out of your habits, do new things, follow you intuition and get busy making your exciting opportunities happen...The time has come. The student is ready, and the master has arrived. Now buckle up and decide to learn and do. Get off your buts and do what you know you need to do...!!!
Spend a day just focusing on your significant other. Take a holiday and focus all day on your most important person...See what you can find to appreciate, praise, enjoy and learn new things about him/her...Take it as the wonderful moment it is!
November 2024
Lighten up for the holidays! Give yourself and your peeps permission to lighten up this holiday season. Don’t take yourself or your loved ones so seriously...let your hair down...it’s all good.
Make your routine work for you. Develop a work-diet-exercise-creative-meditative-journaling-rest routine that supports your health both mental and physical. Use that routine to readjust yourself after a period of intense work, time away, stress, change... Your routine will have beneficial effects that you’ll need as your Universe expands!
Enjoy the Moment. With a lot of change comes the need to stop and have some fun, enjoy the people around you. It’s easy to be just about work, stress, busyness...Take a moment to just enjoy the moment, the people you’re with and the NOW...Your life is about memories, make some today!
Perfect timing, perfect opportunity, perfect persons... When the stars align, go for it with confidence and see where it all leads. Be thankful and watch for all of the serendipities...they’re coming, the Universe has your back and you’ll know what to do and say...this is your moment, take it!
Stand up and be counted. There are times when you need to stand up to power, defend the bullied, say your peace, defend your peeps. It’s not comfortable to speak out about injustice but sometimes it’s necessary. Have courage, go with your gut and do the right thing...it’s worth it.
Be thankful for your new contacts. Take your serendipitous encounters as gifts...they are! Find the interesting things people bring to you and the connections you have with them. Appreciate people, they’re all you’ve got. Take interest in their lives and opinions and learn! Soak it all up.
Be thankful for your new contacts. Take your serendipitous encounters as gifts...they are! Find the interesting things people bring to you and the connections you have with them. Appreciate people, they’re all you’ve got.Take interest in their lives and opinions and learn! Soak it all up.
Dig into your genius. You are a genius, incredibly talented. Your challenge is find your talent and mine it. Work on what you’re good at. How do you find it? Look for what interests you, intrigues you, makes you want to learn... Always start with passion then use your thinking cap to fill in the gaps.
Focus on good health routines. Good habits support progress, bad habits inhibit growth. Feed the good health habits daily and benefit from the energy, weight loss/maintenance, ability to focus... Reinforce the good habits and cement them in place so stress and setbacks don’t undo the hard work you’ve put in place.
Let go of the Fear of Lack. Many of our mistakes come from the fear of lack: of money, love, health, future, success, opportunity... Let it go and focus on the opportunities, dreams, goals, growth and invest your mental energy there...Keep the focus on what you want and not what you fear.
Take a Sabbath off and just rest... There’s a reason why the Sabbath exists...people need a break, unplug, relax and focus on family. Figure out how to relax, how to care for your peeps...listen, love, support, care for and focus on them for the day...
People don’t change much... Reconnecting with old contacts is a brisk reminder that people don’t change much and old patterns are easy to fall back into. Let them go, keep looking forward and stop looking back. You can’t go back, you can never go back... What was once good will not be good the next time.
Soak up good news. When you receive good news, take some time to soak it up and revel in a great, unexpected outcome. One good thing leads to another so be grateful and look for the next miracle. Have the courage to believe in magic-serendipity-good opportunities, good people... Good things happen to people who expect them and believe in them...BELIEVE!
INVEST IN YOURSELF. This also includes taking care of yourself in the form of nutrition, exercise, and mental well-being. So get out there and move, or cook yourself a healthy meal. By doing this, you limit the outside forces that may be pulling your mind away from positive thinking, like watching the news or mindless television. Just like investing in the stock market or even a new home, you have to keep a close eye on things to make sure they are thriving. So keep a close eye on Y-O-U, and don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. You matter, so let’s aim to love ourselves every day.
Powerful week ahead...JUST DO IT! Your best plans won’t work unless you do. Get out of your head today, get out and work. Put yourself out there and don’t hold back...get things done. Focus on priorities first then do the rest. It’s all coming together this week...get ready!
Be Silent – Listen. Transitions, growth, change are hard. Listen, support, don’t offer anything but love to those around you. It may be really difficult for them. Your silence will show support when mixed with attention, sweetness, sensitivity, approving nods, kindness...Give it a try.
Focus on fewer things. Knowledge accumulation is not the goal...get good at something that matters and get deep. Pick a few things that you really care about and get good, go deep. Your skill will lead you to more important skills and you’ll develop organically rather than hoarding knowledge without using it.
STOP DWELLING ON THE PAST. Dwelling on a small moment never really matters when you choose to see love in the bigger picture. When you include love and a lesson learned in any situation, you are that much more likely to keep that mentality in everything you do. So don’t beat yourself up over something beyond your control, because you always have it in you to choose a solution that reveals the most love. That means less judgment and more forgiveness to make room for love.
Slow down and recover. Had an illness, reversal or just exhausted?! Take it down a notch and get back in the game. Your energy and mental peace need to be renewed with rest to help you and others. It may not be convenient to slow it down but it’s necessary to do it!
Celebrate new chapters. Are you changing jobs, children moving away, health issues resolved, new relationships, learning new things... CELEBRATE these moments! Be a cheerleader for those going through these changes. Embrace the challenges knowing that good things are coming. Take the time to take it all in!
Take time to recover. If you’ve had surgery, a traumatic event, job loss, move, child leaving home... Give yourself a break and allow yourself to recover. Take some time to reflect, just be, think, be alone, start a new healthy routine and get ready for the next moment of busyness and activity...Take a break!
Manage Yourself. We all need to understand how to manage ourselves to get optimal performance. Journaling, exercising, posting, affirmations, meditation...choose something, stick with it for 60 days and adjust as necessary. Find out what works and sticks and keep with it. Document how it works and keep experimenting.
Say Thank You for what's to come, it's actually already here! Imagine yourself already living the life you desire and feel truly appreciative for all of the abundance that's coming your way.
Be Open to Surprise Outcomes. It’s really important to detach from results AND to be open to surprising outcomes. If you have two job choices and your heart is set on one...realize that the perfect choice could be the other...watch it unfold and be open to surprises...!!!
Night sleep is not the time to reason. For some reason things seem more bleak if you’re thinking about them at night in half sleep. LET IT GO!!! Let your sleep time be for rest, positive thoughts and silence. It’s much more important to have a restful night sleep than a dissection of the day with critical thinking. Sometimes after a restless night of fear thinking, the next day it all seems so simple and positive...so that night fear was a complete waste of time and rest.
Maximize the NOW – focus on important goals. Between changes and even within transitions there are down times...make sure to use these precious moments to make progress on your most valued goals. Be systematic, write it out and then execute and document your progress. MAKE IT COUNT!
TRUST THE UNIVERSE. Trusting in the unknown is not always easy, but it is an essential step when preparing to receive abundance from the universe. To open yourself up to receive, you must first believe that the universe will naturally work FOR you instead of AGAINST you.
Timing is everything. When you’re feeling stressed about the slowness of life unfolding...RELAX... Timing is everything and you can’t push rope. Let is all unfold in its time. Prepare, focus on what’s important and make good use of time, get detached and let it go. It will come back in its time, the perfect time.
Let your life unfold. Life unfolds, it happens, one thing leads to another, the flow keeps going. Sit back periodically and watch your life and your loved ones lives unfold. Get into the flow of this unfolding and you’ll be in the right place at the right time. Relax, take a deep breath, be yourself and let it happen!
October 2024
Focus on key tasks today... With important progress comes the need to follow through. Identify the key tasks that make for serious follow through and then get busy. When good things happen it’s easy to get into celebration mode and drop the ball. Keep up the momentum by digging in deeper to the core of the tasks/skills and prep that will lead to your success...don’t let up!
Walk through a powerful week. Some periods are life changing and have ramifications for the coming years. If you’re in one of those powerful weeks or expect it...relax, center, focus on what’s important, don’t be rushed and focus on what counts. Rewriting goals and thoughts will help clarify and prepare you for interviews, meetings, recalibrating goals...Take the time to get your mind clear and calm. Let it happen and trust that the right things will happen at the perfect time with the perfect people.
Declutter your life. The clutter of things that we don’t use can strangle your creativity, mental space and effectiveness. Get rid of what you don’t use. Let it go, donate, sell, throw away...start fresh. For many people this is a struggle...grab it and win...you’ll feel better for it. You’ll be more productive, you’ll be happier and live a simpler, more focused life. It’s worth it!
Soak up the moment. When good things come it’s easy to look ahead and miss the wonderful NOW that you’re living today. Be thankful for the good things but remain grounded in the NOW where the magic came from to begin with.
Focus on your “stress-busters” When a lot is going on both good and/or bad, it’s easy to let the stress causing tasks go unattended. Resolve today to catch up, get back in the game, take care of business, rid yourself of stress and feel free to tackle the important goals that relate to your passion.
Use your downtime wisely. If you find yourself between assignments...use this time wisely. Dust off your priorities that you’ve put to the side and work on a project that matters. Rest moments are rare gifts that can propel your forward momentum – movement – progress. Take full advantage of these moments and work on something that’s important to you.
Center yourself, detach, and watch the unfolding. Going through a transition? Relax, center yourself, detach from the result and watch it unfold in its time. Being anxious or trying to force events is unproductive. Turn your canoe downstream and let the current of the Universe take you to the adventure that you need and are prepared for in this moment. Don’t fight, resist, become attached or fearful...just Let it Be!
Your time is precious. After all is said and done, all you really have is your time. If you’re in a lull between projects check for priorities you’ve been putting off and get to work on them. Breaks in your life can be disturbing or exciting depending on how you spend this extra time. Make it count, you won’t get it back!
Work with Serendipity. Do you find serendipity at work in your life? Work with it. Get quiet, relax, listen to your intuition. Take steps to cooperate with the flow without forcing things...there’s no need to push. Watch for the signs, listen to your heart and take confident action to support the emerging special “thing” that is birthing. Let go, relax and receive it...it’s coming at the perfect time and in the perfect way.
One thing leads to another. Your life builds on your experiences. One skill learn leads to more opportunity that then again continues the path of forward movement. Sooooooo What?!? It means that the experience you’re now having (difficult-good-bad-painful...) is preparing you for the next thing. You’ll get there...just be patient!
It takes patience to make progress. Big goals, important goals can be challenging. Slip yourself slack and be patient. Let your learning unfold, don’t rush it for the important things. Take the time to go deep, learn it, practice it and make progress. There are no shortcuts for the important things.
Focus on Doing one thing. Decide one important skill and just do it...tutorials, write it down, do the examples and actually learn it. Take out the fantasying about doing and JUST DO IT! Make it a habit.
Don’t get distracted by distractions. There will always be people and situations vying for your attention. There are people that irritate you...let silence and disregard take care of those if possible. Sometimes just letting people go is the best way to move forward. Not everything needs to be addressed...use your intuition and sense of timing.
Limit yourself to do more. Limiting your options allows you to be free to explore the depths of important skills. Take one small, important skill and focus on it. Document it so you don’t forget and practice enough that it becomes a habit, skill, muscle memory, something you take with you...
Remember why you love her/him. It’s important to remember why you fell in love, what it means today to be in love with someone. Let your intimacy, your conversation, your joint problem solving, spending time together...reattach regularly and find new reasons for your love. Appreciate your partner today.
Hug and celebrate your peeps. Life and moments are so very temporary, when there’s a milestone, celebrate it. Take the time and attention out to make it special. It will not return, so spend the time together wisely and soak it up!
Take your small gigs seriously. Take every opportunity as a important gig to help you progress. Make use of your tools, focus on the experience and do your best...see where it leads and who it leads you to. The who is probably the most important so focus on the performance but also the people...bless them by using your gift to your best ability.
Faith without Works is dead. Doing the mind work/soul work without actually playing the gig, doing the painting, writing the book is dead. Put yourself out there and actually do something. Get out of your head and make progress today to an actual result...of any size or type! JUST DO IT!
Expect surprises. Leave room for unexpected serendipity that takes your life in a new direction. Leave room for the unscripted and the aha. Your life is an adventure if you let it be. It’s a wonderful playground of opportunity, joy and discovery. Let it be today. Be open to where it will take you.
Embrace the new. You’ve let go and the Universe has made room for the new...now embrace it and commit to it and see where it leads...Be prepared for surprises. Take the time you’ve been given and make it count for something that matters to you and your loved ones...it will be important for others as well...JUST DO IT!
Today is “Let Go” day. Let Go of the hurt of NP, feeling like a failure, not seeing my life’s impact, Fear of not having enough, the struggle for self-control/self-mastery, let go of limitations, let go of worry, let go of sleeplessness, let go of negativity, let go of distractions, let go of addictions... Live Free.
Love Learning. All of life is learning...love it! Love the experience of learning something new, getting deeper with your expertise, developing skills you know are important. See the long game, the big picture and let the flow of the learning river take you where you need to go.
Add a priority function to your morning routine. Want to make exponential growth? Add a key skill to your morning routine. Make it a true learning time that motivates you to learn more. It doesn’t need to be an extended session, just enough to learn and do something that matters to you. Watch it grow!
Do the small things today. There are those small things that you can do today that will eliminate the stress that keeps you under torque. JUST DO IT! Making progress in small ways keeps the ball moving. Once you’ve done the small things, they will build to a large one! Take some small steps today that you’ve been putting off.
Execute your plan from a relaxed state. A relaxed, alpha state is the best place to work from. Learn to access the resources online to bring calm, relaxed, alpha states into your creative process. Watch the genius flow and attention to intuition that will bring you the roadmap and motivation that you need to move forward.
Follow the bread crumbs. Your highest self is ahead of you dropping bread crumbs through the woods so you can follow the path. There may be dead ends and the need to regroup and change direction but that is a necessary part of the journey, the quest. Some insignificant things-situations-encounters will lead to much bigger and important developments...don’t ignore the insignificant...
The Universe will call your bluff. Need time to work on your purpose? The Universe will clear your schedule. Need a project/gig? The Universe will bring it to you. Need to meet people? The Universe will bring you the people. “Ask you ye shall receive, Seek and ye shall find, Knock and the door shall be opened unto thee.”
Focus on the What/Why questions. So often we focus on the How of our goals. In doing so we limit the Universe’ opportunity to bring truly miraculous outcomes-opportunities-serendipities... Focus on what you want and why you want it. Focus on the emotion-enthusiasm and derive energy from that flow to fuel your steps.
Anticipate an unfolding... At a certain point, you’re doing your work, focusing on your goals and then...things just unfold the way they’re supposed to. Relax, have the patience to watch it happen. Adjust your approach as things develop...see where the current takes you.
Follow through with your program today. Take a day to do your program all the way through. Figure out your routine, do what’s important and see how you feel. You can always fine tune it but get started today. See where your inner wisdom brings you, watch for the welling of energy and enthusiasm which confirms that you’re on the right track...! JUST DO IT!
Start measuring. Progress comes from knowing where you’re starting at, having KPIs, seeing growth towards the attainment of goals. Start today by getting your starting points measured, write down achievable goals that matter, make a plan and start working it. JUST DO IT...requires a roadmap...
September 2024
Distractions keep you from your purpose. Realize that the world is full of good things, interesting things that are a complete distraction. Identify your favorites and the amount of time you spend on them and reassign them or eliminate them entirely.
Tap into what moves you. We all become interested in a: subject, instrument, direction, cause, religion...because we experienced something that moved us. Identify that and do it every day. Spend a few minutes connecting with what motivated you. This well has enthusiasm, delight, energy, genius and will lead you to your next step. Go get it!
Keep the Momentum going... Continue to feed the positive thoughts, feelings, reactions, expectations, beliefs... The more your feed your mind/heart with these positive things the more the momentum will continue and grow into unexpected abundance... Expect a miracle, be the miracle, believe in it, watch it manifest!
Be thankful for what you have... Being grateful for the abundance you enjoy is really important. When times get tough you need things to hold on to weather the storm. Your work, your family, your friends, your house... Sometimes things that you took for granted can become vital in moments of crisis.
Burn the chaff to plant the seeds. To do something new, you gotta burn the old that’s negative, holding you back, in the way and just plain a nuisance... Start burning and you’ll find new, level ground to plant in and to grow the new, beautiful plants of your life...
Do what matters, life is short... When an unexpected death happens let it be a reminder that life is short and precious. Your time is all you have, spend it on things that matter. Take stock today of your schedule and priorities and don’t spend another minute thinking about people/circumstances/past that do not matter... Focus on what’s exciting and important for you today and do that first.
The challenges bring the lessons and next steps. Look at your current challenges as your friends. They are present, at your bidding, to teach you, to prod you to the next twist in your story. Sometimes the prodding is painful, but you may also be very stubborn and require that sort of approach. Accept it, embrace it and see where the water is leading you.
Let Go. We all seem to want to hold on to things, jobs, relationships, clothes that have run their course and are no longer relevant. Drop the Blade, let them go, start something new. Build on your experience and do it better this time. Nature’s way of making room is to destroy, burn, blow down, let the scavengers remove it... Your first step is to let go...watch how the Universe will remove it and accept it.
Say “Yes” to Abundance. No matter what your situation, the Universe is presenting you with Abundance. The Universe is predicated on Abundance... It’s constantly expanding, evolving, changing, creating and destroying to make room for more Abundance. Decide today to find that Abundance in your life and build on it, do more of it, invest into it, follow its leading-your path...
Start a project you’ve been putting off... The best way to get over a setback is to start something that is meaningful, challenging and brings enthusiasm. Search for this project in your well of your own creativity...do something original to you that is meaningful to you. Start there and see where it goes.
Time is short...focus on your real goals. Your time, energy and resources are limited...FOCUS on what’s really important. So many things are worthwhile and important for other people. The challenge is to keep focused on what’s important to you. If you’re a caretaker, you’ll need to add the support of those who depend on you... Do that, and don’t do what others what of you for their own reasons, noble as they may be.
Don’t get sidetracked by other people’s goals. Shiny objects can distract...other people’s goals are an example. Maybe a person who is entrenched in your past pursuits presents themselves and you nostalgically are attracted to it...Maybe you left something on the table that you should pickup...Take the time to really understand if this is a move forward or a step backwards into a world you left behind... As Don Henley wrote, “You can’t go back, you can never go back...”
Break it down to bite size...start biting... Your big goals require a lot of small goals to make them happen. Take each step as an exercise, a skill, a mini project and enjoy the process. Don’t get bogged down with what you can’t do but focus on what you can and what you need to learn. It will come together step by step.
Let go. We’re wired to hold on...but it’s best to learn to let go of many things outside of your control: A bad work situation...a bad relationship...crazy makers of all kinds...situations you can’t change. Focus on what you can change and where your power is. Focus on enacting your plans...making important things that you value happen.
Help each other. In times of stress decide to help those around you to deal with theirs and help you deal with yours. Sometimes it really takes two in order deal with the issues. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. Be willing to give what they need too.
Start Over. Break down your most important project to the bare bones and learn it from the bottom up. Don’t leave out the pieces you’ve been ignoring. Decide to become a pro and really do it 100%...no more cutting corners, faking it, halfway commitment...JUST DO IT. Watch this new way of working go to other projects that you’ve abandoned or done halfway...
Get back on the horse, focus, learn, grow... Did you just fall off the horse??? The sooner you get back on and readjust your attitude, the better you’ll feel. Falls are important because they bring you to where you need to be with the people you need to know...See it as an incredibly positive gift and start the search for why this is a good thing...Be open to surprises and new directions!
A new chapter starts daily. You have the chance to reset daily. Take advantage of it and begin again if you had a slip up the day before. Let go of the past, embrace the day and the now and what’s in front of you. Most importantly who is in front of you. Be grateful for your special people. Make them feel appreciated today.
Focus on doing things you’ve let go of but are important. The most important things are often what we let go of because of work, busyness, stress... Do one thing deeply so it really sticks. Gain momentum by digging into your enthusiasm and job of movement on an important task-skill. JUST DO IT!
Dare to Dream Big again! If you’re going through a transition...dare to dream big again and dust off your most cherished goals...JUST DO IT! Lose the fear and forge ahead with the trust and knowledge that the Universe has your back and will help guide you to the best use of your time, talents and resources...
Take big changes in stride. Change is the only constant. When you have loss of any kind, realize that it’s like a forest fire...it’s making room for new growth, clearing away the dross and things that hold you back. Don’t fear it or be sorry for it, dig deeply into it and wait for the Universe’ next move. It’s all good, you’ll soon see!
Don’t Push Rope. People and situations develop and move when they’re ready... You can’t rush a situation. If you’ve put yourself out there...let it mature and come back to you. Prepare and do what you need to do in the meantime but don’t rush or put people under pressure. Relax and watch it unfold in it’s time.
Let emotions subside. It’s easy to be a hot head and take things with anger rather than letting it all subside for a minute. Let the fire rest and avoid stoking it unnecessarily. Team work and cooperation is more important than being right or making a point. Keep it clear and logical if possible.
“What’s the Best use of my time right now.” If you want to keep on track, keep focused, ask the question. Answer the question for what’s important in that moment and get busy doing it. Don’t waste your time or life on non essential baloney.
It’s nice to look at your partner and feel love for them. Make sure you tell them how you feel and why. It’s an increasingly rare thing to have someone close to love...if you’re that fortunate, make sure they know. Find a way today to do something you know they view as a selfless act of love...you know what it is...JUST DO IT!
Timing is everything. When you’re ready it will appear. If it’s premature, wait – prepare – study and the time will come around. Test your enthusiasm and watch the signs. The right moments come at the right time...keep in touch with how it makes you feel...!
People want to help. As you proceed on your adventure of growth...realize that people are coming to help you...accept their help! Make sure to vet people so you don’t get hurt BUT once you find a friend, let them help you...it will be good for them and you. You’ll find a way to pay it forward for them and others...JUST DO IT!
Encourage others to follow their dreams. Your peeps want your encouragement, approval, enthusiasm for their projects too! Be the safe person that they can share with, dream with, reach for the adventure with... Give what you want to receive and watch it all grow...for them, you, your bigger community...
Give what you want to receive. An incredibly powerful law of the Universe is that you receive what you give. If you want Love, give it, if you want generosity, give it. If you want to increase your wealth, give it. Giving puts synchronicity and unexpected results on your side. It may be very different from what you thought it would be...BUT...maybe that’s exactly what you need... Take it! Say “Yes!” Don’t worry about the how but focus on the what and why.
Know your rhythms. During the day you have natural rhythms specific to you. Certain times are the best for work, getting things done, high energy-concentration... Know your schedule and put the proper tasks at the times that work the best for you.
August 2024
You’ll know your purpose by your enthusiasm and energy. Many of us are constantly trying to figure out our purpose... Your body/mind will tell you clearly. Start something that interests you. If you find enthusiasm and pleasure in doing it... that’s your first and most important clue. The more you do it, the more enthusiasm, energy and pleasure grow... Follow your bliss.
Pick a goal, make it clear and go for it. Define a single goal clearly and go after it. The clarity of your goal brings it to you faster. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to achieve it. Make it clear, find a first step and take it. Once you’ve taken step one, take the next step and continue...Watch it come to you, be patient and consistent and let it unfold.
Gauge your interest by your energy, enthusiasm and joy. If you’re branching out in a new direction...gauge the rightness by your feelings about it, your follow through, the Flow – timelessness...If it’s there it’s right. If it’s not...reconsider. Your time is precious, spend it on things that matter.
Things are whatever you want them to be. How do you want things to be? Have a clear idea and then continue with that thought/intention. Be clear but also be open to the Universe having a better idea and giving you something even better. Hold loosely to your intention and don’t worry about the how. Focus on what you want and why you want it. Watch the Universe bring the perfect thing to you.
You can’t go back but you can go forward! If something from your past reappears in your life it could be a false flag or it could be a rekindling of old passions that now have new meaning. Go slow, watch how you feel, see if your energy increases or decreases and watch for signs of positive results.
You will find what you’re looking for. Be aware of your preconceptions, your presuppositions whenever you’re interpreting a situation, a text, the Bible... If you’re looking for validation, you’ll find it. If you’re looking for trouble...you’ll find it. Try looking for beauty, peace, love...you’ll find that too!
Be open to new directions. So you’ve sold everything from a former part of your life to lighten the load and sharpen the focus...now that same thing is coming back around as an opportunity...let it settle, get focused and centered and make the right decision! Life is circular...expect things to come back around both good and bad! It’s a chance to make it right – one way or another!
Embrace your daily challenges...they are the way. Your work, relationships, struggles...are the way, the path you’re on, your journey, your school room of lessons to learn. So often we push against our problems-obstacles-frustrations. We avoid them, we complain about them... We really need to welcome them as teachers and get busy learning the lessons.
Let go of the Fear. The fear of losing a job, not having friends, not succeeding, having too much debt...it’s really debilitating... Losing fear, believing that it will all be fine, you’re in a good place, live within your means, find balance in your life...are so incredibly important. Find your peace and hold on to it. If you’re in a good place, be thankful...most people live in fear.
Seek stillness in your busy-ness. Stillness is a frame of mind that you can enter even in a busy day. Take small moments to reflect, think of nothing, let go, find the divine, not give a f...ck, send positive vibes to someone you love...Learn to listen to others without advice or thinking. Take it all in rather than give it all out.
Setup for quick creative access. Make sure that you can get to creativity quickly...Don’t let the technology get in the way of the moment. Have a quick setup to play-create when the ideas come/flow. Don’t stand in your own way and give yourself excuses...
Find a new skill and learn it. Pick something that interests you and learn it...start a new course. Learn a new language, a new instrument and start over as a beginner. Develop the beginner’s mind and apply it to the skills you already have...maybe it will inform your highest skills and make you a pro.
Do your priorities first, destress second... Keep your eye on the ball daily... Do the important things first then the things that ruin your life and then enjoy the rest. Make time for your health - both mental and physical, then your loved ones, then your stresses of work, then your fun!
Let the stress roll off your shoulders. Stress has a way of tensing your shoulders, making you irritable, making you sick, making you... Figure out how you destress yourself and then make it a daily ritual-routine-therapy... You’ll benefit and all those around you will benefit!
Appreciate where you are today. Take a moment and reflect on where you are and how grateful you are what what’s in your life right this minute... Live in the now and watch where you’re headed...follow that. Let go of the past and embrace the wonderful change of the present/future...
Feed your Super Power! There are things that just come naturally to you...feed it, fuel it, make time for it, make it a priority and enjoy your talent. We all spend too much time working on our weaknesses and too little time on our strengths and unique abilities.
Focus on balance. Feeling good, feeling in balance, feeling at peace is a wonderful place to be and go about your life. The older you get the more you value health and balance in all areas of your life.
Make it a priority...take the time to be quiet and experience your inner peace/calm/silence. You’ll find joy in that place/state.
Embrace your issues. Your issues show you the way of your growth and development. Love your issues, challenges, good, bad and ugly...it’s necessary for your growth. Don’t push away your problems, they are your gifts.
Give away what you don’t use. If you haven’t read, worn or used something for a year or two...it may be the case to give it away, sell it and make room for your current interests and focuses. It’s really easy to hold on to things that no longer matter because you’ve fallen in love with merely having them...makes you feel powerful and rich...LET GO AND MAKE ROOM! It’s a great way to be generous.
Your next step is developing...Jump on! Forces are at work to reveal your next step. Take the initiative to cooperate with what is developing... Make the next move, follow your intuition, don’t let fear or inertia keep you from next steps. Put yourself out there, dare to be bold and watch the result. Don’t be impatient, just assert and let go. If there is follow up to do, do it! Let it unfold naturally and peacefully.
See your challenges as your way to progress. Are you facing a lot of challenges? That’s Good! These challenges have been chosen by you to make the changes and improvements and experience the adventure that you need in this moment. Embrace the challenges and figure out how to progress through them. You’ll make the progress that you need to make and be better for it.
Take a vacation-or staycation... Many of us are really bad at unplugging and taking a rest or vacation. TAKE ONE, make sure you plan what you want to accomplish and do something important to you. Take a real rest and unplug...you’ll see how difficult this is...We’re all addicted to tech, stress, accumulation of things and mental/physical clutter... See it for what it is and make changes.
Unexpected passings are a reminder of... When a friend/loved one/acquaintance pass away unexpectedly it’s a reminder of the shortness and preciousness of Life. Get busy with why you’re here, learn what you need to learn, progress, give love, receive love, be the agent of positive change. Follow your heart, take care of yourself, hug more, laugh more, care less...it’s all temporary and unreal anyways.
Spending addictions can be crushing. Creatives often struggle with addictions. Spending and hoarding are often present. Overspending can be a way to avoid real progress in creating. G.A.S. (Gear Aquisition Syndrome). is a way of waiting to do the work until you have the right tool...you’ll never have enough tools...JUST DO IT ANYWAYS WITHOUT THE TOOLS! Get help for this addiction...it’s as difficult as alcohol, gambling...take it seriously.
Even when you can’t, you can! Don’t believe your own b.s. when you think your day is impossible, undoable...JUST DO IT! As you do your work, your energy and ability will rise to the task. Make sure to get your rest and have your down time...you need it, you deserve it, take it!
Start an important journey today. Need to lose weight? Need to get out of debt? Need to start saving for your retirement and secure the future of your loved ones? Start your journey TODAY. First measure your starting point, then put together your thirty day plan to get to a better place and then execute one day at a time. Make it your number 1 priority for a month. Measure and journal your progress.
Keep the focus and the rest will make better sense. Work can get overwhelming and frustrating at times. Realize that it’s a means to an end for most of us. Keep your focus on the end and the means will be more palatable. Always focus on the end so the sacrifices fall into their proper place.
Focus, go with the minimalist approach. Sometimes too much technology just gets in the way of creativity, production, focus, success... Go with a slimmed-down setup and force yourself to create more with less...learn something new through fewer choices...show your real creativity...no crutches...
Be the Healer. Decide today to be a healer for others and yourself. This experience is dense, tiring and can be too much... Be the person who brings fresh healing to others. Be the person heals yourself, relaxes, centers and works from a higher state... This experience is not real so write it to be a wonderful adventure of learning, experiences, joy, progress, love, stillness, calm and joy...Give it to everyone you meet, including yourself.
It’s all about letting go of stress. Our health, happiness, mental life...all stem from our ability to deal with stress. Relax, get focused, giterdone, but don’t kill yourself. Learn to take your life in stride and not let it destroy you through stress-worry-sleeplessness-anger-fear-worry...It’s all going to be ok... believe it, have faith in faith...
July 2024
It’s always worse at night. Fears seem to amplify and become monsters at night. If you wake up fearing work, issues at home... do your best to just focus on sleeping and let healing sleep get you to the morning where you can actually do something about your issues. Night fears are not productive. Leave your cares to your higher self and wait for answers the next day.
Get your daily/weekly “stressbusters” done first. Prioritizing according to how you’ll feel is a way to arrange your day to avoid procrastination. Work on what releases stress first then get to the rest. Continual stress really deflates, takes energy, encourages overwhelm. Getting ahead of these stress tasks will free up your mind for more important things.
Learn your lessons... You’ll get as many chances as possible to learn your lessons. The sooner you learn them, the sooner you’ll get to better lessons. The same old lessons get tiresome... Move on to bigger and better...
Focus on the good, seek balance. Living a balanced life is a challenge today. We have nonstop static, stress, fear, overspending, consumerism... The first step to balance is to recognize and focus on the good. Dig deep into what’s good. Let your starting point be “the good” in your life. Seeking more good, happiness, calm, silence, reflection is good starting point and a way to measure your progress.
Appreciate the abundance of your current situation. It’s too easy to take for granted the abundance that’s in your life...striving for different. There is abundance right here, right now...be grateful, recognize it, notice it in others and more of it will appear!
Every day is a restart. Don’t wait for major events to restart your goals, programs, desires, changes...every day is a chance to make those changes...try something new...reinvent yourself. Keep your eyes open for the synchronicities of the Universe that will bring you the opportunities and chances to say “YES” to new things...people...relationships...challenges...
Focus on your plan. Life passes quickly, make sure you’re doing your work, keeping your commitments, spending time with family, enjoying the ride, keeping up with your priorities. Make a plan today to spend more time doing YOUR thing...
Pay attention to your finances. One of the biggest issues for modern life is finance. Pay attention to your finances/resources and they will grow. It’s like a garden. Some of us are really bad at it and need help. Set goals, write your plan, revise and improve as you go. Don’t spend more than you earn and realize that it takes a long time and a lot of discipline to save...get started early and do it regularly.
Enjoy your life today. Let go of the stress for a moment and enjoy your life, appreciate the wonderful people who have made it so, give them compliments, be happy, appreciative, thankful, don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Just be happy today.
Keep your eyes on the ball. It’s incredibly easy to get distracted. Figure out your priorities and dedicate your time to those things/persons/tasks first... Let the rest be secondary. Don’t get into the procrastination trap doing busy things that aren’t important to you...
Appreciate the good today. Life, work, the world are full of challenges, opportunities and abundance. Take time regularly to reflect on the good you find in your life, be thankful, let people know you appreciate them and soak up the positive wherever you find it.
Life challenges are just part of the game. If you’re dealing with issues that will never be resolved... everyone is in the same situation. Deal with your situation, accept it, and find the best way forward. Feeling sorry for yourself or jealous of others is a complete waste of time. Keep up the fight, make small changes to improve and move forward but...don’t expect Life to be somehow different.
Do the thing you’re avoiding. We all have issues we’re avoiding. Decide today to take steps towards confronting what you’re avoiding and make progress. You don’t need to resolve it today. You just need to make progress and begin the process. You’ll need to learn more, do more and take the steps. It may require hiring someone to help you...it’s worth the expense.
Let Go of Overwhelm. There’s really no way to deal with overwhelm than to just do one important task at a time and knock it out. If it jumps you in the middle of the night when you can’t do anything about it...LET IT GO, IGNORE, DISTRACT, DEFLECT...don’t bite into the night terrors of what you need to do! Focus in the morning when you can take action. Start with the most important and work your way down.
Make the most of your holiday. Get rest, take a break, reflect, do things you care about...carpe diem your vacation day. Make your loved ones the priority... Listen better, pay attention, anticipate needs and desires, support your closest person.
Work with a minimal setup. Less is more when it comes to technology.Discipline yourself to go with the minimal setup and make something happen with your creativity rather than your technology. Get back to basics, go old school and challenge yourself to do more with less.
It will all work out. When there is a lot to do, it can be completely overwhelming. Get it down on paper, have faith that it will all get done and start with the most important priorities first, then the urgent, then the long-term important and then the stupid if you have time. Limit access to your time and mind and get busy...it will work out!
Issues return until they are dealt with. Are you experiencing something you’ve seen before? It’s because you haven’t dealt with it yet. Make the commitment to deal with YOUR issues and YOUR situations this time around. Don’t run from the challenge, don’t hide or ignore it. Don’t push it off on someone else. What you decide to do now will have repercussions long term...
Use completely new tools and approaches. Take everything you’ve done and throw it out. Decide a new path and take it. Try something no one else is doing and see where it takes you. Get out of your head and follow whatever comes to you. Discipline yourself to finish the project and post it. Have the courage to do something you’ve never done before.
Use the familiar to begin again. Go back to your first experiences and use them to teach yourself new things. Take the building blocks and start over in order to get to a new place with new tools. You know you can do it...you’ve done it before...do it again!
Movement is key. If your back hurts, keeping moving, if you feel fatigue, keep moving... If you feel stuck-depressed...keep moving. Forward movement brings healing. Remaining static will keep you stuck both physically, emotionally, spiritually...keep pressing on, even if it’s a bit painful!
Holidays-Birthdays-Midyear...Celebrate! Find every-any good reason to celebrate milestones. Reevaluate your progress, your goals, your methods and adjust where necessary. Enjoy your peeps, enjoy your good health...be grateful in the moment and move forward. Live your life today!
Accept gifts. We tend to be cynical even when loved ones are trying to give us gifts. Let down your guard and accept the gifts as they come. Be thankful, appreciate and reciprocate... Keep the cycle going and look for ways to surprise your giftgivers with something they really want in return.
Take Action! Creatives can get stuck in their heads, not doing anything but imagining the possibilities... Decide to make progress today and actually do something you’ve been avoiding that will contribute to your progress. You know something that will be important and get your forward momentum going... JUST DO IT! DO IT TODAY!!!
Guard your stress levels... Modern life is really challenging...find a way to rest, reflect and restore your health and mental strength. Take your mental peace seriously...unplug and relax. You need it!
Shutout the noise and focus. We live with such noise: actual sound, negative thoughts, positive “shoulds”, people both positive and negative, expectations, regrets, responsibilities, fears... SHUT IT OUT for a moment, find the peace within and work for a period from that standpoint...then enlarge the time frame until you can work/be this way for more of your day.
Take the positive vibes when and where you find them! Life is made of small moments of joy-peace-good vibes-good feelings-good experiences. Make sure to celebrate every good moment as they come. Celebration leads to more good things. The good times help balance and improve the difficult moments.
Crazy is the new norm...deal with it! Your life seems crazy?!? Just accept what you have and march on. Sorrow for a life that’s different than what you’d hope for is a colossal waste of time. Focus on doing the best with the hand you’ve been dealt.
Hold on... When a storm hits, sometimes the only thing to do is to hold on. Look for perspective, the purpose of the obstacles and issues...reevaluate what you’re doing and think of the best next step. Sometimes the best next step is to do nothing...Hold on!
Abundance is between your ears. So you finally achieved some of your financial goals...so what!?! You’ll soon realize that it’s all in your mind. Money is not real...it’s all on paper or in the ether or in a bank or in your house or your cash or your metals...it’s all fake. If it makes you feel abundant, it was always just a state of mind. Remember that
Every milestone is a moment to reset. Have a birthday-anniversary-change of season-important date? Use that moment as a reason to reset. Start over and do things because they are worth your time and not because you must. Look at what’s holding you up and shed it. Get rid of your excuses, see them for what they are...Do YOUR thing, make YOUR contribution, live YOUR life purpose...however you define it. JUST DO IT!
June 2024
Find a way to do your thing every day. There are a lot of moments in the day that could be used to advance your goals and projects. Find a way to take advantage of those moments and make progress! Enthusiasm is key to maintaining forward movement and momentum...
Getting back up after a setback is the real issue. Reversals, mistakes, setbacks...falling off the wagon... are all normal things. The focus needs to be getting back in the race, not losing momentum. Follow your routine and get back on it if you lose a moment.
Find time for your goals daily. Our work and personal lives are so incredibly packed that it’s difficult to find time for what’s important to us. Carve out time. Do it when you have the energy for it. Guard your goal time and do it consistently. Document your progress.
Acts of Kindness. Do something that you know your partner will appreciate. Learn to be thoughtful, learn to do things that your loved one will appreciate, that they will see as an act of love. Do something that requires effort on your part, do something that really matters to them... It’s not always easy to identify these things but take the time and know your partner.
Listening is next or first... Really hearing someone is an art form. Start by listening without speaking, giving advice, stating your position, arguing... It really just involves “shutting your mouth” but then evolves to actually showing attention, then asking questions that show you understand. It’s a never ending learning experience...start today!
Kindness is the first approach. Don’t know what to do in a relationship...lead with kindness. Do unto others really applies first to your primary relationships...start there and see how it goes. After kindness...several others follow...it’s part of what real love is.
Reevaluate your goals regularly and make sure you’re on track. It’s important to be flexible, learn from events, course correct and keep on track. Your goal progress evaluations should be monthly, quarterly, bi-annually and annually. It doesn’t need to be super detailed, could be just a touch base, but it’s important to be consistent and see trends. Go all in and make sure you’re on track!
Decompress... After a busy week, take the time to decompress and follow up and organize yourself for the next push. The down time is important. Soak up the family and the important people in your life, let them know how much you appreciate them!
Finish strong. Sometimes the real meat is in the last 5 minutes of the game. Hang in there, keep with it and finish the project strong!
Watch the signs. Sometimes it appears that nothing is changing and nothing will ever change...that’s why it’s important to keep a journal so you can see the progress from one year to the next. Look for change coming. Continually evaluate where you are and where you’re going...keep the forward momentum and it will help with the motivation.
Don’t take things personally. Work is important and can often be very personal. Learn to let it go and not take criticism personally...let it all go. Work is necessary but not everything. Lighten your debt load, live within your means and work will take its proper place.
Dare to step out and go for it! We can be so very cautious when we touch the big goals that are important to us...just a little more preparation, just more...stuff...better deal...more prep. Do your best to prepare and then just go for it! Let the experience do it’s magic and have fun.
Start with your most important-stress busting task and knock it out. Overwhelm can be an excuse for not doing the important things first. Buck the trend and just focus on your most important task today and get it done, then move on to the next. Remember that the most important priority will be taking care of your loved ones!
Own your power. You’re a much more powerful person than you realize. You’re able to create, heal, injure...Decide to use your power for the highest good of yourself, your loved ones, the people you work with and the people you encounter...
Own your life. Your life is yours, you created it, you’ve reacted to your circumstances, you’ve spoken your truth and you live it. Let go of your excuses, decide to follow the course that makes the most sense to you. If you don’t like what you see, make different choices. Appreciate your lessons and the challenges you’ve chosen...learn grow and move forward.
Pull the Band-Aid off quickly... Some tough things you need to do will hurt. If it’s necessary, do it and move forward. Don’t second guess yourself, just be convinced, quick and move forward. Don’t let fear keep you from doing what’s important.
Realize that you are choosing your life. Are you stressed, upset, wishing things were different?? Realize that most of your life is of your own making. If you don’t like what you see...decide to make changes and go a different direction. What usually keeps us from this is fear. Confront your fears and make small changes and see where it all leads you...!
Make decisions from a higher perspective. Worried/stressed/suffering at work... remember that this job may be gone in a year...so take it all in perspective. Focus on your priorities, your family, your health, your goals... Don’t let a job or another person steal your peace...hold on to your priorities.
Big success...take a break and recoup. Accomplishments can deplete you as much or more than defeat and struggle. Take some time to recharge and move forward without burning yourself out. Take it slower and be kind to yourself.
One foot in front of the other. When there is a crisis...just take a deep breath and make one move after another. Take your best shot. Work your best and let the stress roll. The more relaxed you are the better your decisions will be and you will increase your ability to make change.
Take stock of where you are now. In order to confront change and challenges you need to know your starting point. Do an audit, understand where you are and then set short term and medium-term goals to arrive at where you want to be. Start today, don’t delay. The change may be coming faster than you realize.
Challenges are changes that need to happen. Do you have major challenges? Look for the positive change that is waiting to be born. It may not be what you think so be open to where your life is taking you and the clues of the Universe. You’ll know within what you need to do and what you need to prepare. Take your intuition seriously and take action.
Ride it out...it’s not real anyways. Most of our current stress is very temporary...let it go. Most situations will work themselves out eventually...let it go, live your life today and put everything in perspective. Realize the persons who are important and take care of them. Build your life on people, not things and you’ll have a rich life and a real legacy.
Lighten up, it will all work out fine... Panic is not a good place to be for any length of time. Worrying about things will keep you up at night. Getting angry is counterproductive... Begin by taking yourself less seriously, begin by lightening up about the whole situation. Have faith in faith and believe that it will work out.
Watch your stress levels. It’s easy to overload on stress especially when you’re dealing with other people. Watch the physical signs and find ways to relax, distract from the stress and redirect your energy. Problem solving when you’re emotionally spent is not a good idea. Learn to take the mental breaks you need to remain in the game...be kind to yourself...you’ll be better for the people who depend on you.
Detach to live more peacefully. Stress can be crushing. Circumstances can be challenging. Detach yourself and see your life transpire from a peaceful perspective. It’s all unreal anyways...don’t let the turbulence of life, other people, work, world events...as reasons to get upset. Detach, schedule your priorities and do your work...it will all work out fine.
See your life as a challenge to learn and grow. Your work is hard? Is your reality at home hard? Take it all as a lesson to learn, grow, become better. We all have difficulties and challenges. Meet them head on and accept them as your teachers. Life is your greatest teacher. Figure out the lesson and learn it, get better, be better.
Believe in your abundance. Believe the best about your future and live that way in your present so you bring it about. Manifest your abundance by living as if you’re where you want to be. Is it really that simple?? Write out your plan, clarify your focus and go for it. Clarity, discipline, work, practice are all components of truly manifesting the life you’re prepared to live, enjoy and give.
Invent a deadline if you don’t have one. Deadlines are important for creative people. We need to feel the pressure in order to accomplish almost anything. If you don’t have a deadline, invent one. If you have one, make it important and make progress. Don’t overwhelm yourself with goals that are unachievable, make it realistic and meet your deadline. Make it happen!
Go for your most cherished goal. Decide what your most important goal is and get busy with it. Life is short, make it happen, get started. Leave your excuses behind. Put together a plan and chip away at it today...get started, JUST DO IT! Set a deadline, goal, gig, to get you motivated to make progress. You already have everything you need...no more excuses!
May 2024
Take a moment to appreciate the good things in your life. Being grateful-thankful is a huge part of living life well. Take a moment today to be thankful for what’s going well, thankful for the important people in your life, thankful for your work, thankful for your challenges. It’s all a part of your life journey and none of it is wasted.
Appreciate your life. It’s easy to be negative about the busyness of your life, the fatigue, stress... Beware, you could be “looking a gift horse in the mouth...” Find a way to deal with the challenge and look for the lessons, growth...It’s there. Appreciate the good that your life is bringing you.
Habitual comfort makes us flabby. Get out of your comfort zone, sweat, exercise, do something that challenges you physically, mentally, spiritually. Take the untraveled road that’s meaningful for you. Challenge yourself to do something of meaning. Look to supporting your closest loved ones first then branch out from there.
Let your morning routine start the day out right. You can feel a sense of accomplishment by doing your morning routine that helps you focus and keep on track. Let it lead the way for you! Then plan your day and knock out priorities one at a time. Keep your focus tight and execute...!
Feel positive, even if you don’t know why. Sometimes you feel peaceful for no reason...soak it up, enjoy it and see where it leads. Give your peace and love to those you love. Share your good mood liberally and give them the encouragement and support they deserve. Seize the Day and the Love.
Your life plan is unfolding...even if you don’t see it. Have faith in faith...believe that your life is unfolding perfectly and go with the flow. Occasionally we have glimpses that the Universe is working on your future even if you don’t see it. Be positive, expect the best, expect that it will work out and let go. Do your best in the moment and take your best shot. Don’t wait for the future, do it now...JUST DO IT.
Your most valuable asset is your time. Things, money come and go. Your time also comes and goes and it can never be regained... Don’t waste your time, don’t waste your life. Understand your gifts, make sure you use your time maximizing your gifts. Lose the T.V. and other time wasters.
Let your routine give structure to your day. A good routine of exercise, meditation, journaling, goal writing can help you keep focused and get more done daily. Rising early is essential to getting ahead of your day. You’ll feel better about your productivity and moving forward on your goals while being effective at your work.
Appreciate the small things. If you’re on a trip for work away from home...it’s a nice day...appreciate the good weather...look for the good. You may not be in the same place again...ENJOY IT, SMELL THE ROSES!
Appreciate the love. If you have someone who loves you, you’re fortunate, let them know. If you have someone to love, you’re fortunate, let them know. If you have colleagues you care about, let them know. Every person you have in your life is a gift...treasure them.
Look for unexpected tips and paths. Sometimes the unexpected is the next path...usually it comes when you plans go up in flames. Take Life as it comes, be thankful and look for the lesson-next step-surprise... Lemonade from Lemons is a good way to live...
20 minutes a day makes you an expert in a year. 100 hours will make you an expert in anything. Decide what’s important for you and start today to make it happen. Make the list short and plan when in the day you’ll do your 20 minutes...give it a shot, document your progress and see the result!
Take a deep breath, center and relax. Been away on a trip? Let yourself reacquaint yourself with your safe place, creative place, loved ones, nature, rest, relaxation...get back in the groove. Find a quick project to be creative, do something you feel is important. Enjoy being home!
Make progress...celebrate the win. Sometimes that little bit of effort to make progress really moves you forward...especially when you’ve finished a tiring day. Make sure to celebrate the win and give yourself the encouragement to repeat the process.
Decision time. Make the decision today to become a pro. Burn the boats on the beach and actually make the commitment to do it. The time has come. Your life is limited and your time is precious. Make it count, do something you think is cool. You can do it, JUST DO IT! What are you waiting for?
Keep your big goals moving forward. Sometimes the smallest lesson learned will propel you forward with your important goals. Take the time to let that happen. “Learn by doing” is really the only way to make real progress. It takes time to play and let the muse play you...take that time, find that time.
Preparation makes everything easier. Most of our stress is because we’re not prepared for our tasks and responsibilities. Take the time today to relax and slowly prepare for your tasks...see how much better your days will go if you know you’re ready for it.
Enter a period of progress. You know what you need to do. Decide to spend this moment actually doing what you know you should do. Start with getting a routine that supports you. Eliminate what doesn’t support you. Do the same for people and activities. Focus on where you want to go and what you need to do to get there. GET BUSY, JUST DO IT! What are you waiting for? Hit the reset button and actually reset.
Give your significant other a day to pursue their interests alone. Make sure your loved ones get a chance to follow their passions on their own. It’s good to give them a break, it’s good to support them, it’s good for their mental health...You’ll need the same thing too!
Pay off the debt...it will change your perspective. The debtor really is slave to their debt. Make a decision to payoff debt. Feel the weight lift from your shoulders and make the decision to NOT return to that status ever again...
Your Time is precious. Your time is your life...spend it wisely. Take some time to reflect the highest use of your time and prioritize accordingly. We often waste time on things that don’t matter. Remind yourself of what you’re all about and then keep your eye on the ball.
Keep your eye on the ball. Don’t let busyness, family, work, fear...take you away from your cherished goals. Call your own bluff and see what you’re made of! Go for your biggest goals and cut them into little tasks that you can manage daily...make it a priority.
Be Thankful for chores. A day of prep, cleaning for company, cooking, prepping for a great night with people...a great way to spend the day...be happy that you have a place to entertain in, friends to invite over and a welcoming group to work with...Nice!
Take a Breather... Intense periods of work require rest, breathing, smelling the roses, enjoying the moment, enjoying the loved ones, focusing on spoiling your significant other with attention and what he/she/they/them need and appreciate... If the day is beautiful...enjoy it, reflect, read, calm your mind and take in the good.
Make just one person happy. Pick your most important significant other and spoil them for a day, evening, weekend, afternoon... Figure out how to spoil them...what they really like and let’em have it. You’ll enjoy it, they’ll never forget it and it will be an important moment in your relationship...
Relearning the same lessons??? If you seem to continually be presented with the same issues and make the same mistakes...learn your lessons! The best way to move past a lesson is to remove the situation, develop a routine to protect yourself and realize that the issue is toxic for you...leave it alone!
If we’ve made progress we like to think we’re strong enough to be “balanced” with our challenges. Realize that the challenges are often bigger than you are and you just need to let it go...don’t engage.
Hold on and finish strong. Have a physically taxing task? Sometimes the last part is the hardest and the most important...hold on, resolve to finish strong. Make sure to get your rest, do your routine, prepare, relax your mind/body and then fight through it! Look for the last minute miracles, second wind, worthwhile take aways. Then follow up on the follow up and bring the results.
Go with the Flow. Busy-Difficult moment...just step back and go with the flow...don’t fight it. There are moments to dig in and fight but sometimes it’s just not worth it...Let people be right, let people be in control of details you don’t really care about. Going with the Flow is a way to ride through the experience and let things be ok and for you to be ok!
Appreciate the people you’re journeying with. Great relationships are the measure of a successful life. The people you are surrounded with shows who you are and what you want. Give them abundant attention today and make sure they know that you appreciate their unique place in the world and your life.
Decide it will be ok. Worried about what’s ahead?!? Make the decision that it will be fine, that you’ll find the joy and make it into a great experience for you and those you touch. Your encounters with others are your chance to share joy, show support, help, be a fun-positive person. They need it as much as you do! Decide to be that person and you’ll see things work out for the best.
Do something today that’s your highest personal priority. Make sure you find time daily to do something that really matters to you. It’s too easy to leave your highest goals off the list because you’re busy, distracted or using your busyness as an excuse to avoid your real goals. Maybe you’re afraid of your goals and what they’ll require of you...JUST DO IT! Push through and enjoy.
April 2024
Relax and run with it...find the lesson and the positive experience. Crazy week ahead...chill, find a way to discover the lesson, learning experience, positive, adventure and focus on that. It’s so easy to get negative and make a busy time really difficult. Celebrate the positive where you find it.
Ride through your day and enjoy it. Decide that today will be a vacation even if it’s a work day...let go and engage the day with enthusiasm, guard the negative and embrace the positive. You’re unstoppable!
Prioritize Rest and Digestion. Our fast paced lifestyles are not conducive to resting, reflecting and digesting. After a good night’s sleep with a good high fiber diet, nature takes over and rests your body...let it, work with your body. Stop fighting it...
Let go of being right and become part of the solution. Righteousness is often just something to cover your inadequacies...let it go and just look for solutions. People make mistakes, forget, cover their behind and just miss things...let it go and work for solutions and forward movement. Let the score keeping pettiness to lesser beings.
Appreciate what people can do and who they are. Changing people is a lost cause. Find what they’re good at and pitch the ball to that skill. The hard part is when you need them to do something they are not able to do...That’s the challenge. It’s the same challenge for ourselves! Have patience and kindness and try to get results with what you have.
Big week? Relax-organize-take a deep breath and get started. Getting ahead of the week is a big part of a successful week. Get your mind in the game and focus on key tasks to attack first to get a feeling of important progress...It will change the whole week for you.
Make it Human. Are you over committed and can’t see how you’ll keep it all together?! Prioritize, work on what you can, make it Human where possible, prioritize your rest and self maintenance. Killing yourself will not produce a good result. The stress of others is not your stress...let it go and do the best you can. Your survival is more important for your loved ones than your money and/or time away working.
Energy is everything. Dealing with fatigue is a major issue in our go-go culture. Conserving energy means prioritizing where you spend it and figuring out how to maintain and restore it. Refueling is really important. It’s easy to continually burn the candle at both ends. Resolve to refuel regularly and watch your over expenditure of energy on what’s not of primary importance.
Lose the Fear, let go of the fatigue, live boldly! Fear is what holds most of us back. Fatigue also slows us down. Throw it all to the wind today and live boldly. Say your piece and go for what you think your best life is. If you’re experiencing abundance...dig deeper, if you’re in lack, change your mind and look for the abundance that is all around you.
See your work life for what it is: your laboratory. Rethink and recategorize your work. See it as your lab to experiment with and experiment on your life. You have much to learn and experience and your work is a big part of it. Find the learning experience and the value in whatever you do and work with it, learn from it and progress. Your attitude will improve and you’ll see it for what it really is.
Let your Finances rest. Take a break from spending...fast from spending. Vow to only spend from what you have saved. Let go of your credit cards and debts. Set a goal to be debt free. See how free you feel when you’re not enslaved to debt and spending. See how enslaved you feel and lose that shackle... Accept the freedom to make changes because you’re not saddled with debt. Fanaticize about what you’ll do and what you’d love to do...Then JUST DO IT!
Let your Mind rest. We’re always turned on, attached to a phone, headphones, tablet, computer, T.V. TAKE A BREAK! Take a walk, have a conversation with someone you care about, read, research something new, develop a new skill - “just because”. See how this feels, then schedule it daily.
Let your Body rest. Fasting is often seen as impossible and deprivation BUT it’s really a way of allowing your body to rest, detox, repair and reset. Many of us creatives have food issues. We consume too much, eat poorly and don’t pay attention to what we eat. Spend a few days allowing your body to rest and repair, then reset with less-better-timed well...see how it changes your experience!
Rest and refocus. Take some quiet time to reflect and connect with your inner self. Refresh yourself in peace, stillness, trust, knowing, being. Overthinking, procrastination, negative thinking...all take away focus. Find your place of stillness and stay there for a while, let it speak to you, inform you, lead you... Your next phase has already started, point your canoe downstream and let the current take you in the right and peaceful and effortless direction....
Spend some time reflecting on your path. Every now and then you need to just spend some time reflecting on your life journey. Think of it as a novel that you’re writing/reading. How would you like it to turn out? Think about the excitement of doing/being and then let the process unfold. Document it! Celebrate it!
Learn what you need to learn so you can get to where you want to go. Decide to really learn your skills and tools that will take you where you want to go. If you’re uncertain about it, find a mentor/example and follow how she/he did it. You can do it too! It just takes desire, discipline and clear goals. Get busy!
Make a real change. Deciding to make a real change takes time and is pretty mysterious. Once you’re finally there and are willing to follow through...JUST DO IT. Take the plunge, burn the boats at the beach and get started. Document your progress and reward yourself as you go.
Flow with your Life, stop fighting it. “Turn your canoe downstream and follow the current of your life” Many of us are guilty of fighting the flow of our life. We resent work, relationships, situations and hope for better. Maybe, just maybe...our life is perfect and we need to learn from what we have in front of us. Take it all as a learning experience, the people-circumstances-challenges...and learn from it.
Hit the Reset Button, Live Differently. We have the power to hit the reset button whenever we want. Some moments are particularly important: Birthday, Anniversary, Holiday, Reaching a Goal, Receiving a windfall/bonus, Paying off all Debt, Saving an amount of money that is meaningful. Whatever brought you to this point...RESET, decide and take action to do it differently...start today.
Connect with people while they are still alive! We all have friends with health issues. Do something concrete for them to show your love. Be present, listen, call, give financially, send gifts that mean something to them, write something...DO something. “I’ll pray for you” is nice but can also be a meaningless platitude...Be concrete and do it while they’re still here.
Eat well, take care of your digestive system. “Eat your vegetables” is important even if you’re on a meat diet. Your digestive health and gut will impact your mood, effectiveness and general health. Pay attention to what you eat, how much, when. Much of today’s ailments can be avoided by just eating better...make it a priority!
Sleep is really important. Your ability to deal with life in a positive way is directly related to the quality of your sleep. Burning the candle at both ends is not a badge of achievement but a health hazard. Sleep deprivation will also bring down the level and effectiveness of your work. Make good sleep a priority...everything in your life and relationships will benefit.
Hold on lightly, let go, relax, rest in peace. Stress, worry, sleeplessness, silliness, pettiness...all will take their toll. Decide to rise above, see the bigger picture, be committed to a sustainable life that doesn’t overdo everything...including the good things. Take less, eat less, work less, rest more....
Keep Pushin’. Made progress on an important project? Use that energy, forward movement, enthusiasm to take it even further and deeper. Use the skills you just developed to make more progress. Make sure to document what you’ve learned so you can replicate it!
Breathe, get perspective, seek awareness... When your situation has overwhelmed you...breathe, take a walk, unplug, get perspective and become aware of what’s real. You’ll find that whatever overwhelmed you or whoever, will pass, take its proper place and you’ll be fine. Find peace in the moment and realize that everything is ok.
Take a Retirement Day. Spend a day doing only what you want, think is important and enjoy your loved ones and life...catch your breath, clear your mind, feel free. The reality is that you don’t have to do anything...you decide to do it. Let go and let it fall into its proper place...
Know your audience. Good communication is the foundation of relationships. It’s good if you know your audience and communicate in a way that makes sense to them. If you don’t, it will just be noise. Listen to your audience, understand them and then tailor your way of communicating to them so that they understand, appreciate and remember what you wish to convey.
Maintain a balanced, sustainable life. Working for a living rather than living is a modern issue. If your lifestyle is crushing...change it. If your work is crushing...find a new one, if the stress is too much...find a different way of dealing with it. Your life here is short, make it count...time is your most precious commodity and cannot be bought, only spent well.
Your difficult moments are your self-improvement laboratory. If you’re in a difficult situation with a relationship, work, finances, internal struggles...view it as a learning laboratory with life lessons that you are here to work through. It’s not negative, it’s a positive challenge. Find a way to detach enough to see it for what it really is: a learning experience challenge...meet it, learn from it, grow...!
Do it the simplest way possible. If you have complex processes...find a way to do it as simply as possible. Find a way to practice your most important tasks as simply and immediately as possible so you spend less time on the setup and more time on the practicing...make it so you can do it anywhere, easily...
March 2024
Be Playful, Life is a Game. We take ourselves so terribly seriously...is it true? Is it really that dire? Sure there are moments of real, tangible, issues... BUT most of the time we’re manufacturing our own drama and letting ourselves go nuts dealing with it...Be playful today and see the game in life. You may just enjoy your day and life more as a result.
Do the work and keep your eye on the ball. Sometimes it’s as simple as watching the important single thing...make the sale, finish the project, focus on the most important person in your life...Look for the most important thing today and focus on that...let the rest go.
Reflect on a good moment of balance. If you’ve made some recent strides and are feeling good about the moment...dwell there a bit, soak it up, encourage those around you, notice others and feed them what you need as you’re able. It’s not always about the struggle. Sometimes it’s simply about noticing a bit of peace and resting there...Take it!
Encourage the genius of your loved ones. Catch your peeps doing amazing things and be very abundant with the praise. Your encouragement will go a long way to making their life better. It will also be fun to see them flourish with your cheerleading...sometimes that’s all people need, to be noticed and encouraged and supported...give it freely and abundantly...!
Peaceful work is powerful work. Coming to your tasks from a peaceful perspective is an effective way to increase your productivity, creativity and enjoyment of work. It’s an attitude, it’s a feeling that you’re ready for the day, it’s a feeling that everything will work out ok...Bring this attitude to your day today and see what happens!
Live a life of Love. At the end of the day...all of this is vanity...the only real purpose of living is to give love. We get so wrapped up in externals that we usually miss the point. If you’re not loving people and making their life better...what are you doing?!? Renew your commitment to Love and see where it takes you!
Make one person happy. If you can make one other person happy...you’ve done something! Sometimes it’s as simple as that. Look beyond yourself for a moment and make that person’s day, week, month, year. You know what they like...give it to them abundantly...
Get rid of debt...get your life back. Debt puts us at the mercy of so many things that inform our choices. We feel obligated to stay in jobs we don’t like, with toxic partners, spending our precious life time/energy on paying something off... The house always wins with debt. Make it a point to get rid of debt and live differently. Choose your best life and live it.
Things aren’t always what they seem. If you see situations that don’t make sense...you may not have a clear vision of what’s going on. Best tact to take? Be patient, let it play out, make sure you’re living a balanced life, follow your routine and just wait. Clarity will come with time, people reveal themselves and it will all come out in the wash.
Life is an illusion. Work stress, unhappiness, anger are really based on believing that these things are real. Your stress today will be forgotten quickly. So why ruin your life killing yourself over these things?? Take a different attitude, let the stresses flow through you and release them. Find the joy and peace within every moment. Live and r
Recharge! Your body needs rest, needs to recoup. We push ourselves so hard that weekends and evenings can become work times...Unplug, get in touch with your peeps, take a nap, take it slow, reflect, meditate, do something you love, learn something meaningful to you...You need it! Your Body needs it!
Time Management tells you everything. How you spend your precious time is how you invest your precious life. You never get it back, make sure you’re investing in something important: People first, then things...Reevaluate your life by looking at how you invest your time...Make some changes today!
Accept Abundance when it comes! If you have some unexpected abundance...embrace it. Take some time to spend it. A moment of reflection is a good way to handle unexpected abundance. It’s always easier to spend than save. Pay off the standing debts that affect your life negatively and control your impulse to spend...
Accept Lightness. Being serious is not a virtue...lighten up, enjoy a lighter life with less worries. Realize that everything passes and let the stresses roll through you. It will all work on one way or another. Working from a place of lightness is a more enjoyable way of experiencing the journey...!
Dig into your passion and genius. You need to cultivate your best qualities to see them grow. If you have a passion for something...dig deep, lean into it. You’ll need your intuition, genius, ability to think and just plain Serendipity...activate it all. Have patience, things take time. When a major event happens...work it! Timing is everything, strike the iron while it’s hot.
Good listening is an Art. In this narcissistic age it’s easy to only care and/or talk about yourself. Learning to really listen is a skill that can be learned. Focus on being truly interested in what other people say and feel is important. Let them talk, ask questions, find common interests, support them in ways that are meaningful to them. It’s not too late to learn this important skill.
Be Bold, let the chips fall where they may... If there’s something you feel lead to do...do it boldly and see where it leads you. Will there be risks involved?! Of course! Be smart but don’t shy away from your convictions, what’s important and what your contribution is.
Serendipity happens when you get clear about your goals. Once you decide your give back goal/goals you’ll find others to bring you what you need to make it happen. Jump on it and give back to them as you give to others. It will all come back to you when you need it and least expect it.
Figure out your bigger give back goal and work towards it today. Choose a “save the planet” goal and get to work on it. Learn what you need to learn, discipline yourself to do something daily to make it happen. Keep the excitement and fun in your life by having a big goal to chase...Make it your great obsession. Make sure it helps other people...make it uniquely yours.
Plan your month, plan your week, plan your day. Get ahead of your life, plan and then execute. Make your time and your life count. Decide what’s important and see it through. Your life is only as cool and interesting and fun as you make it. Schedule in all of the goodies with the hard work. Make it happen!
Prepare for the week and then let go. Sometimes it seems like every week is a big week... Try to take out the silly stress, get prepared and then just allow yourself to experience the discovery of what’s ahead. The small stresses can get in the way so prepare by eliminating them. Save time for the big thinking and encounter the week with a positive attitude.... you’ll get much further and enjoy much more.
Less is More. Limit your focus for a deeper experience. If you’re looking to learn something important – focus, limit your scope and go deep. Choose to become an expert with a few of your key tools. Having too many tools is a problem and can dilute your focus and results. Start small, go deep and see how less brings you more results and satisfaction.
Embrace change, next steps as your new adventure. We’re always in transition. When you see a major change coming...embrace it...find the joy, adventure, fun and growth in it. Attitude is everything. If you can develop an excitement for changes you’ll surf the waves well. If you fight the change it will swamp your canoe. It’s really YOUR choice. Make a great choice and see the next step as a great thing and it will be.
Get ahead of your day, and stress. Prioritize the stressful things and get them done. Prioritize your morning routine that gives you the strength to face the day and get it done. Getting ahead of your life is not easy to do but puts you in a whole new dimension. Give it a shot and track your results. Eat that Frog, feed your best self and see who wins the fight!
Let go of the tension...lighten up...stop taking yourself and your circumstances so seriously. We all make mountains out of mole hills. We all exaggerate our importance and the permanence of the momentary success-failure-learning-achieving-starting over. So let go, watch your life unfold, let the tension go...it’s worth the non effort...
Let go of night issues. Nothing can be resolved during the night...so put it in a container for your higher self to worry about it and let yourself sleep peacefully... Don’t fixate on issues, you’ll never get the right perspective. Let your subconscious work it out and give you the answers in the morning.
Start your retirement today. We all have a fantasy of what we’d do in retirement...just what we want to do and what’s meaningful for us. Start today! Make a step forward in your retirement direction and just do it. Record how you feel, note what you need to learn and keep it going...Make it a part of your daily routine.
Progress is what counts. Do something today that is a step forward in your goals. It doesn’t matter how large but it matters that you’ve done something. Momentum is what makes you feel hopeful and keeps the enthusiasm and opens up the world of Flow. Take the ride, make a step and see what the next one is and where it leads you.
Follow your muse. Allow yourself to follow the light you have within and see where it leads you. Listen to that still, small voice and JUST DO IT. Most likely, you’ve heard it before and just need to let yourself follow it. Make the effort, take the time, allow it to come out...your inner genius and the Universe are calling you. We all depend on you following it!
Unplug for the weekend... Unplug time is super important. Prioritize support for your loved ones, pay attention to them, ask questions, listen, do something fun, think of how to lighten their load. Carve out the time and don’t allow work to mess with this sacred time.
Take the Day full ahead and blow through the tasks. Have a lot to do? Pick the important ones and get them done first thing. You’ll feel the positive force of accomplishment and it will set you up for the day. Avoidance only makes things more complicated...hit the ground running today and giterdone.
February 2024
Listen to your body... Feel tired? Get rest. Ignoring your body will cause sickness and overall dis-ease. Have the good sense to take your body’s advise. Sleep when you’re tired, slow down, let go, allow stress to flow through you. Get as much done as you can and then let the rest go!
Allow yourself to enjoy the moment. It’s not all about work, there’s also fun, adventure and experiences...allow yourself to enjoy those things, the people in your life and where you’re at. If there are good things...drink it in. If there are bad things, weather the storm and find yourself ok in the moment.
Let go of stress and fear, embrace the positive...it will all work out. Nothing lasts forever...neither the good nor the bad. If there are rough waters...relax, you’ll weather the storm and be better for it. Look for the balance, the hope, good outcome and soft words. The sun will come out tomorrow, and today!
Take actions to start the new chapter. We’re always transitioning from one part of our life to the next. If you see an obvious transition, lean into it with actions that make sense for that step. Throw out the old clothes, wineskins and put on the new...get used to the feel. You’ll become one with the transition faster if you accept it, welcome it, celebrate it. You’ll also find a community of people in the same boat... enjoy the company and support, give and take.
Be Generous. Have some extra cash, veggies you grew, compliments, flowers you picked, cookies you baked... Give them to someone who could use it. Put some positive Karma in the Universe, reap what you sow and make someone’s day... Do it without any possibility of receiving it back. Pay it forward. See what joy you can bring and watch for the boomerang of the joy you’ll receive.
Take a day off from your troubles. Every now and then (as regularly as possible...) let your troubles roll off your shoulders. Put them in a large steel box, lock them and leave them to your subconscious, your higher self, God, the Universe...anyone/anywhere but in your mind. Just be present in the day and enjoy it...
Stoke your enthusiasm! Are some things happening? Let yourself get excited about it and see where the enthusiasm takes you. Focus on the necessary things to get the cool going and work it! You’ll find a lot of other things coming to mind and soon...it will take on a life of its own.
Embrace the wisdom of uncertainty...stay in the moment. The uncertainty of life is actually creative...anything can happen...really anything. We don’t know what the next moment holds so let loose and see what comes. Make your plans and leave room for complete reorganization. Exciting things are usually a surprise and come from unexpected places.
Be Free, relaxed, light... Financial responsibility is freeing. If you’re not in debt you can live more lightly and take things as they come. Get to that place and live in that place...the ogres, monsters, situations, will have less power over you. You’ll lose the fear and take life as it comes.
Go with Crazy and Roll! Do you have a wild life? Roll with it. There’s very little you can do to change things but YOU CAN CHANGE YOU! Focus on your attitude to your life and challenges. There will always be challenges so your attitude is the only thing you really have control over. Control it!
Get excited, a great week is ahead! Accept your life as it is, get excited about your opportunities and realize that Life is what you make it. Nothing is perfect but the moment is perfect and you are enough.
Lighten the Load. We all have an amazing amount of clutter that we don’t use, never have used and never will use. LIGHTEN THE LOAD – GIVE IT AWAY, GET THE CLUTTER OUT! What’s useless to you may be mega important to someone else...give it away... You’ll feel better, your loved ones will feel better and someone will benefit and you’ll never miss it!
Stand up and be counted... If it’s right, it’s right. Don’t make deals with dishonest crooks/liars...those deals are only as good as the persons who make them. If you stand up for the needs of the weak, people will follow...it’s worth doing.
Just keep swimming... Sometimes it’s just important to keep moving and not worry about all the issues. Overthinking can create fear, confusion, overwhelm...Just keep the progress and don’t worry about too many things. Keep focused and things will take care of themselves in most cases! If you have a plan, execute it and see what happens.
Grab the day, grab your life, be thankful for the challenges. Life is a constant stream of issues and challenges. It’s what keeps us going, makes the experience interesting and forces us to grow. It’s easy to complain and whine but the real challenge is to grow and make things happen...
Don’t defer conflict, face it head on and move forward. Deferred conflict just festers and blocks progress. Lose the fear and face the issues/conflict head on and get to a different place...don’t let issues slow down your progress and block you...resolve them and move on!
Keep your passion alive. The stress of life, laziness, lack of energy, making things complicated...often get in the way of just playing...creating. Give yourself permission to just play/create without any goal, restriction or block...JUST DO IT. Call your own bluff, eliminate your excuses and let the creativity flow. The Flow experience will release the dopamine that will make it pleasurable and good things will happen...it may take repetition, but it will work...trust the force!
Don’t back down. Sometimes you just need to stand up and be counted...Implore power to DO THE RIGHT THING. Somethings really are black and white...when you have clarity, all you need is courage. Others follow strong leaders who have convictions, intelligence and clarity of vision. Decide what you want, think is important and GO FOR IT!
Do the Right Thing. Life is full of all kinds of complexities, caveats, excuses... In the midst of this the on way through is to decide what the “Right Thing” is in every situation and do that. You’ll make mistakes so be prepared to take responsibility for your choices and “make things right” if necessary.
Timing is everything. You can’t boil water faster by watching the kettle. Our lives unfold in a certain timing that we think we can influence. Sometimes we can through discipline, practice and good habits. Other times, most times, it just unfolds in the proper timing, and we know what to do step by step... Let your life unfold today, relax and go with the flow!
Get Clear and Focused about what you really want. It’s easy to lose focus and just go in automatic. Spend time daily reaffirming your goals, purpose, motivations long and short term. Keep your eye on the ball, everything is vying for your time and attention. YOU decide which wolf to feed...choose well! Decide based on YOUR program, not someone else’.
Focus on the power of the day. Great things are coming today, great challenges, growth and people to support. Encourage those you love to follow their path and grow. Do what you can today to support and give them what they need to move forward. Be a cheerleader for them!!!
Let everything be ok! Things happen, unexpected reversals, stresses... Let it all be ok today. Let it all be part of a wonderful plan of abundance, adventure and next steps. It might be a bit uncomfortable but the sun will come out and the plan will be clear in the rear view mirror! It’s all Good, no it’s all GREAT! JUST DO IT!
Guard and cultivate your energy. Your mind and enthusiasm can get you in challenging situations that require a lot of energy and physical strength. Take your rest, exercise and eating seriously...they will bring you over the finish line and to adventures you want to experience.
Build for the future, it’s coming faster than you think. Saving for retirement, building a nest egg is really difficult but incredibly important. Life passes fast and the aging process is unpredictable. Have a regular savings routine that continues without you realizing it. You’ll spend everything you have so invest it first to keep it from this rule. You’ll be glad one day that you did and your loved ones that depend on you will too.
Give yourself entirely to the moment today. Get out of your future mind and just grab the day, the moment, what’s in front of you... Let go of the future and the past and just embrace today. There’s a huge moment awaiting you. Be ready for surprise, fun, a twist and...the wonder of Life. Your love of people and adventure will serve you well today...Carpe Diem! JUST DO IT!
Lose the Fear, Enjoy the moment, relish the experience! Our lives are made up of moments and the now...take the now of today and the experiences you have in front of you and just enjoy it, commit and see where it leads. Where it leads...follow! Do what your intuition tells you to do.
Believe in yourself. You are all you have...be the best you can be for yourself, your loved ones, your colleagues at work... You can do it, you have great things ahead, you have great things/people/circumstances right in front of you. Believe in yourself and give yourself completely to your path.
Take stock of where you’re at. It’s important to review your situation regularly. Your finances are a great place to start because it’s a numbers tracking. Other KPIs like hours spent on your passion, projects completed, weight, blood numbers...are all good too. Pick the important drivers in your life and measure them. You could be pleasantly surprised!
January 2024
Burn the boats...get committed. There are moments when you need to really get committed and decide to do something. Being on the fence is not acceptable...decide to do it, get to a new place, make it work. This goes for your relationships, work, goals, passions...JUST DO IT!
Expect a powerful week of progress. There are wonderful developments coming this week...get ready, expect them, prepare for them. Use your routines and habits as the path to prepare for the incredible news this week. Your attitude and excitement will contribute greatly. Lose the Fear, get ready to make some fun changes that will challenge you.
Embrace the “Cool” and do it. Figure out what is “cool” to you and make plans to do it. Develop relationships, dare to sing-play-draw-learn-showcase-stumble... The more “cool” you enjoy, the more will come to you. What are you waiting for?!
Lose the Fear, start living your life. We postpone or avoid doing things we enjoy out of fear. We all have handicaps of some kind and need to embrace them. We need to not let them hold us back from the rich life we deserve and can offer to others. JUST DO IT... Take the chance, see where it all leads. Be ready to be pleasantly surprised and connected.
Reflect on what’s important to you. Thinking about what matters is an important, daily activity. Focus your mind on what’s important and you’ll feel better, do better work, remember why you’re working so hard and keep your eye on the ball. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, distracted and living only for other people’s priorities...WORK AND THINK ON YOURS!
Make templates so you can work on your real interests everywhere... The new digital age has brought the ability to do work of interest everywhere. Take advantage of this so you can get to your important, personal projects at a coffee shop, waiting for an appointment, at lunch... It helps make you feel like your real life is always available to you and present...
Have the good sense to rest. When you feel a cold coming on...rest. When you feel overwhelmed...rest. Make sure to make time to rest. Sounds dumb or simple but it’s profound and important. The rat race pace will tax you beyond what you’re capable of ...Rest!
Find a reason to praise someone today... Catch someone doing something good and praise it. Start with those close to you then go to work colleagues, friends and then strangers! See if this positivity brings results...expect them.
Keep your priorities straight: Closest Significants, Family, Friends in that order. Make sure you make your decisions according to your priorities. It’s easy to get sidetracked with feeling sorry for people and then damaging your primary people/responsibilities/significant others. Put them first, they deserve it and deserve to know that you’re doing it. Make it clear and repeat it. Back it up with your words, deeds and how you spend your time/money - most valuable assets.
Learn to really listen. Let your significant other talk, be heard and appreciated for the uniqueness she/he brings. Just SHUT UP and pay attention. Your response is not needed. Wait until your response or opinion is requested. If it is not required...don’t offer it. Just ask questions, pay attention and quietly, attentively LISTEN...
Focus on the good and the important. It’s really easy to get sidetracked on less important things. When dumb distractions come up...keep your eye on the ball and don’t get tripped up in the stupid. The tests of distraction surface frequently and the test is always the same...let’s see if he/she can get worked up in inconsequential things and lose focus...easy to do...resist and refocus.
Just Roll with it. You’re in a difficult situation...just roll and let everything be ok today. Things usually are not as bad as they seem.
Take a moment to assess your situation and celebrate the good. It’s early in the year and important to celebrate the progress you made last year and the good that’s happening right now. Progress is not easy and when you see it, celebrate it. Bring more into your life of what’s good by being thankful for it and recognizing it. Same goes for the people in your life, celebrate them...they are the most important part of your good and success!
Keep positive, just keep swimming. Things often work themselves out without the unnecessary stress you put on yourself. We imagine the worst and it seldom occurs. JUST PLOW THROUGH!
Stick to your vision. Don’t let others, work, stress, fear take your focus away from what feeds you. Focus on the good things and let them come to you. You deserve to feed your dreams. Your closest loved ones know and appreciate it.
Prioritize you-your interests-your passions. Don’t let your job squeeze out your life. Don’t lose yourself because of relationships-work-family... Your true supporters want you to grow and feed your passions to keep you together.
Be Bold and speak your truth with humility. Be direct when you can and do it in a humble way. People respect directness and the humility/kindness is really the only way to deal with people. It’s how we want to be treated. Practice it in the tough moments and get ready in the easy moments.
Face your life without Fear. Nothing is permanent and it will all pass. Don’t take yourself and your surroundings too seriously. Here today, gone tomorrow. Focus on what you think matters and hold on to that!
Let Everything Be OK-Perfect! The best place to be is where you are fine with everything that happens. Be ok with the uncertainty of life and the unfolding of life in its time. Whatever happens today is great and how things unfold is great. Turn your canoe downstream and let the current take you where you need to go. Plan, dream and detach...it will come in its time and you’ll be ready. Let others be on their schedule too. They’ll learn their lessons in due time...allow them the space to experience this.
Life is change, embrace it, don’t fear it. It often feels as though the uncertainty and fear take over because we can’t imagine or embrace change. Most changes we fear never happen. Even if our fears happen, there is a way out and a next step. The next step always leads to something better, a new evolutionary step forward. Lose the fear, embrace the change as it comes and live the day as best you can. Don’t fear the unknown or the future, it will come in due time and you’ll be ready for it.
Focus on your purpose...stay there and grow... The most powerful place you can be is in your purpose. Integrate your family, work, passions, situation into your purpose and you’re in the NOW, in the right place at the right time. In this center of the hurricane there is calm and peace. Lose the fear, find the place of rest and calm and work out of that center...the Kingdom of God is within you...find that place and work from that vantage point. The rest will fall into place.
Pay attention to your loved ones and notice them. The propensity to selfishness and self-focus is clear. Buck that trend and look for things to notice in your loved ones. Give them the support they deserve, need and what you’d give yourself. Appreciate them, touch them, give them the strokes they need.
It all comes down to Health...how you feel, your energy. At the beginning and end of the day...if you don’t feel well, you won’t live your best life. SO...Focus on your health! Eat well, exercise, keep up good mental routines, sleep well, spend time with people you love, do what stimulates you, deal with your stress and don’t let it over power you. 2024 is about health: mental, physical, spiritual, emotional. Challenge yourself to do better and avoid the stupid factor...
Identify your next level and the habits to support it...reprioritize. Want to get to a new level-place... write it down, clarify it and then figure out the habits you’ll need daily to get you there. Start small and work your way up as you gain more confidence, results and enjoyment. Pick things that really matter to you and let them guide your choices and routines...make it fun!
Clean up and organize. The success of your workflow depends on an uncluttered work place, uncluttered mind, organized ingredients and quick access to production/creation/doing. Focus on getting your routine organized before a busy season and let yourself get in the flow and the zone quickly to maximize your precious time there.
Go with the Flow. Feel where your life’s current is taking you and align with it. It may be a completely new direction...let it happen and don’t fight it. The only sure thing is change. Change can be growth inspired, realignment inspired or just mysteriously inspired... Let is all be good and be in spirit. Your higher self knows and will let you know as you go. Learn your lessons, get past your trip up issues and get busy doing the next exciting step.
The new year is winding up, take some time for clarity and refocusing. Regular times of reflection, relax and quiet are necessary for the busy lives of overwhelm that we lead. Take some time to reevaluate, reassess how you're spending you time, what your life means, what's important. You'll most likely find that a large percentage of your time is spent worrying about things that don't matter and filling the time. Focus on the important and give your life and love to those people first, goals second, things last...
Get ready for rapid evolution...simplicity is the key. Knowing the next step is coming and it’s going to be revolutionary...step back and get some simple templates ready. You’ll want to focus on the work and not the process...simplify the process and the work will flow more easily.
Start over, do only what’s worth doing... Use “Zero Based Thinking” and decide what’s really worth starting again, knowing what you know now. It’s never too late to start again. The reality is that we’re always starting over, each day. It’s always that first trip to Germany, Italy, Orlando... Today knowing what I know, I’d deepen the groove into the blues, sleep music, my tunes, my standards, my singing and actually get my music going. Learn Ableton Live, Push 3, Deluge, a simple gig setup...and just do it. Be ready when the occasion arises. What are you waiting for??
December 2023
2023 was a powerful year of change, new things, abundance, accomplishment, new challenges and clarity of vision. Now it's time to put it all together to make 2024 a year of making it happen on a daily basis.
The year is winding down, take some time for clarity and refocusing. Regular times of reflection, relax and quiet are necessary for the busy lives of overwhelm that we lead. Take some time to reevaluate, reassess how you're spending you time, what your life means, what's important. You'll most likely find that a large percentage of your time is spent worrying about things that don't matter and filling the time. Focus on the important and give your life and love to those people first, goals second, things last...
Remember that your most important focus is loving your people, things-accomplishments come afterwards. Give your quality time and life to your loved ones first. Make sure to take care of yourself so that attention is possible. Focus your awareness on the care that they actually need-want-appreciate. It may be different from what you’re offering. It’s only meaningful, if it means something to them!
Clarify your Focus. Break up your goals into clear smaller tasks and get busy. Make sure the tasks build on each other and develop skills that will intersect later (if you can!). If you can only see the trees, start there, the forest will take care of itself over time. The important thing is to start.
Take one important step at a time. Don’t get hung up on long todo lists of important tasks. Pick one and get that done before moving to the next. Too many on the list can be overwhelming and keep you from doing anything. Start and gain the momentum to do more. Plan a few simple tasks after the important ones.
First your health, then your energy, then everything else. Most of us burn the candle at both ends and suffer from various sicknesses. Your body is trying to get your attention...concentrate on your health, getting your energy back and then the rest will follow. Take the down time to learn to relax and get perspective. Focus on what matters and let the rest go.
Take time regularly to review your “Important-Non Urgent” quadrant. Steven Covey’s four quandrants are important for time management. We all know that time management is life management. Spend some time today reflecting on what is important and not urgent...those long term, life goals that define you. Spend some time moving those goals forward and enjoy the Flow. Hopefully you’ll take time during holiday breaks and weekends to let yourself work on those important goals as a regular part of your life management and self-development.
When you feel something coming on...get rest and get ahead of it. The pushing and stress and overwhelm cause us to transgress our health. The best thing to do when a cold or flu is coming on is to rest. Get a good night sleep, take it easy and don’t push it. Get ahead of yourself and don’t let the stress take the energy away...you need it!
Use your strong times wisely. If you’re a morning person, make sure you’re doing important things in the morning. I you fall apart after a big meal...save it for your down time. If you’re a night person, do the same and follow the rhythms of your body and mind. Don’t fight your constitution...work with it and maximize your ability to move forward.
The Universe is speaking to you...LISTEN! What you want, wants you. Just go with where the Universe is taking you. Let your mind relax and go to the places you need to go. Take your dreams, thoughts, ideas, breakthroughs, serendipities SERIOUSLY. The Universe is shouting for you to pay attention, lose the fear and do what you know you need to do. Get busy and JUST DO IT.
You get better results with a positive-affirming attitude. Dealing with difficult people?? Go to them with a positive, supportive, understanding attitude and see if you can hug them into helping you and resolving issues in a positive, mutually beneficial way... Surprise yourself and them. Be that positive person and resolves the log jams and gets good things to happen.
Embrace the good today. Yes, you’re tired, a lot is going on, it’s overwhelming... Take a moment to appreciate the good, the excitement, the adventure, the growth, the learning, and especially the love of your significants...wherever you find them! Give hugs today to all you meet.
Remember to focus on enjoying the day. There’s so much to do and we are all overwhelmed that it’s really important to stop and appreciate the good people, experiences, fun and adventure that the Universe has provided for you. Don’t let the busyness and overwhelm run the ride! Find the joy and hold on to it. Especially important is to hug the people...these moments don’t come back for a redo.
Life is a series of disasters usually fake. If you’re freaked out about what you see happening in the world, your job, your creativity, your relationships...this is NORMAL. LIfe really is a learning experience and the only way to learn is to encounter challenges. View your challenges as your friends, your companions and your guides to the next step... Relax, detach and find the way through.
Create Multi-use Templates. Simplify your workflow to go cross platform so you can work on it in many settings...a great way to learn your tools, improve your skills and just play-create-produce. Get to the core of creating and it will make more sense. The simplicity is right in front of you...strip it down and make it work.
Keep your eye on the ball. Clarify in a simple statement what your life is about and then get busy doing it...sometimes it’s just that simple. Avoid the temptation to complicate your life, relationships, work...just know what you’re about and execute the plan.
Break up your issues/challenges into manageable bites. Overwhelm can keep you from making progress if you let it. Take it in smaller units and make progress. Detach from the stress and view it as a puzzle with sequential steps. Take the steps, be diligent and positive and make progress.
Find what makes your loved one/ones/colleagues/family feel important and support that. Figure out what makes your loved one feel important and find a way to be unconditionally supportive, an active listener, give it the attention and praise you can...Make that person feel important and valued for what they’re doing and thinking and going about it. Leave the unsolicited advise behind and support their point of view...learn to shut up, listen, praise, support, give attention and focus where needed. Do the things they need done, don’t do the things your way...submit to their inner wisdom...
Look for support and accept it. In the challenging moments it’s important to seek out trusted supporters and build your network. They’ll be happy to help and you’ll be able to help them in their hour of need...It’s the circle of love...give it and receive it...
Survive to live another day. Sometimes it’s enough to survive the storm you’re in. Hang on, figure out what you need to do, evaluate if it’s still important to you or do you need to change course. If you’re staying with it, decide to make the changes to get the results and learn from it. It could be the challenge you need to take the next step...
Push directly into your fears and watch them disappear... Most of what we fear never happens so why get so stressed. Just walk through your fears and face them courageously. The fears will dissipate and you’ll wonder why you wasted any time feeding them.
Learn your tools, don’t just collect them. If you’re like most of us, we buy too much and never use important tools. Take the time to get deep with your important tools and really learn them. Avoid the tendency to purchase without really taking the time to learn...it’s a time consuming process and requires attention, perserverance and limitation of options. Good lessons.
Eat chicken – throw away the bones, enjoy the meat. All of our experiences have a light and dark side. Choose to take in the light and discard the dark. Remaining in pain, stuck, fear, hopelessness because of a bad experience, bad relationship...ultimately comes down to your choice. Be thankful for anything good and just let the rest go. Let it go...
Appreciate where you are, live the day, make it the best today. Take stock of where your life is today...appreciate it and look forward to what’s next. BUT don’t forget to really live the day...it may be your last, it may be the most important day of your life...Look for the magic and lean into it. Make today your best life day so far!
Take some time to think... Your ability to think about your goals, your dreams, your tasks. Let your thoughts, thinking, processing lead to actions. These actions will move your projects and your life forward. Document your progress...it will help you think, act and make progress. It will also help you gain your mental momentum and release your passion and enthusiasm...these lead you to happiness and a feeling of fulfillment which starts and accelerates the process again, and again...Progress, Evolution...Yay!
Pick your Frogs and eat them quickly today...get on to the good stuff afterwards! The tough and undesirable tasks are the frogs that need to be eaten without too much thought. Get to the good stuff today by doing the necessary stuff. Save time to actually enjoy at least one important/good task that moves your personal project further...you deserve it!
Passion is a long game. Your dreams, passions, fantasies are a long-term project-commitment... Synchronicity, flow, the Universe will bring you next steps...TAKE THEM! When opportunities come, lose the fear and go with it. The FLOW will bring you what you need but you need to bring the willingness, follow through, planning, discipline and hard work...It’s worth it...JUST DO IT!
Spread some joy, love and compliments today. Dedicate yourself to making others feel good about themselves. Find something to compliment and make sure it is said. Take the focus off you and put it on others...they’ll appreciate your place in their life and you’ll feel better too.
Decide your important “thing” and get busy doing it today. There is one thing that is the most important for you today...Figure out what it is and get it done first before letting the day take over. Prioritizing and knowing your most important task is important to maintaining momentum...Take the time to reflect, and plan to execute.
Make the holidays sing, by singing and playing! The best part of the holiday after family, sharing gifts, spending time together, eating together...is playing music. Pick some tunes to learn and play and get busy filling the air with music. LIghten everyone’s mood with your celebration music.
Do you have a negative person rattling in your head... Illegitimi non carborundum! Some people in your life are not supportive (putting it mildly). Regardless of the motive, put them and their words in a steel box and throw it in the sea of forgetfulness...move on, let go. Look for the positive and don’t let the bastards get you down! Illegitimi non carborundum!
Take a vacation from your fears. Challenges will always be a part of your life...Fear is optional. Choose to live without fear today. If you can focus in the moment and realize that everything is perfect...do that. Find a way to win over your fears. Focus on the good in your life. See your challenges as part of the adventure and exploration and experimentation...there’s always more to learn and experience...celebrate that fact today.
Celebrate your milestones...let yourself enjoy them guilt-free. We’re stressed and feel guilty for celebrating our milestones...that’s garbage!! Let it all go, enjoy and celebrate each other, what we’ve done and accomplished and be happy for it. Be blessed for where you’ve arrived at and look for the next steps as exciting challenges and more abundance.
November 2023
Let go and do what your inner wisdom tells you to do. Listen to your inner guide that gives you the positive steps you need to take. Let go of the fearful voices that bring up the negative. You’ll know your intuition because it will be positive and supportive...listen to that voice and actually DO what it/he/she tells you to do...don’t wait do it now so you don’t lose the message.
Keep positive, and hold stress lightly. Learn to put your life issues in a big metal box that can’t be opened at night...leave it all for your Higher Self to figure out while you rest/sleep/meditate/take a break/hug your family/exercise... Gain perspective by loosening the grip of fear and stress. Believe in a higher power within that will handle all of that for you.
Prioritize rest, shutting down, relaxing, enjoying your life. Our busy go-go lifestyle is part of the stress overwhelm overload we’re all experiencing. If you’re in a tough spot. Learn to relax, breathe, hug, eat well and take care of you. You’ll be far more equipped to serve others with the tank full of energy, ideas, love, enthusiasm, persistence... The tougher the situation, the more you need it, so take the time and recharge.
Confront the demons and bring them out into the light of day...then deal with them! Avoiding issues is common and understandable...BUT a horrible way to work-live-run your life. Look the monster in the face and figure out what the options are and put the fix in place. You’ll most likely need to change course as you go forward...this is normal. Remember that an airplane is always course correcting to get to a destination...life is the same.
Take time to unplug, stop thinking about work, destress... Stress really does wear you down and harms in so many ways. Decide to unplug and forget entirely about your stresses. Once you let yourself relax you’ll be more prepared to confront your stress. Give yourself a break, no one else will! Life really is short and precious, keep your eye on the ball and appreciate the moments that will never return...they’re right in front of you.
Clear and straight is the best policy. When you deal with people at home, work, the neighborhood, treat them as you want to be treated...straight, clear and no politics/baloney... Clear, kind, communication is the best policy. Guessing a bosses/partner’s mood is always tough...let people know where you stand, discuss as necessary and move on.
Work can be healing. Feel sick? Rest is very important but there’s also a place for just jumping into your work and see how that makes you feel. The down time is very important but feeling better because you’re doing can be good too. If you find yourself crashing after the activity/work...then crash and let that happen as well.
Pieces of the Puzzle coming together?! Take it to the next level...don’t delay. When things begin to make sense, your awareness/understanding/knowledge/intuition kick in...jump on it and make it a priority to get to the next level. These windows can be temporary...jump in, take a swim and see where the next wave takes you.
Stop and take in the moment. The busyness and stress of our modern life is a constant. Learn to disconnect from this daily to take in the moment of abundance that you’re living in. Don’t let others, your job, your sense of obligation ruin or postpone the reveling in the moment. There’s a lot to be thankful for, just look for it and squeeze it.
Your life presents growth opportunities...take them! Look at your work-family-life challenges as opportunities to grow, learn new skills, apply new skills and make progress. These challenges are not in your life to harm you but brought in by you to take you to another place, meet new people, make progress, do something new, have an adventure. Embrace them.
Move forward from a place of peace and rest. Get quiet, listen, see where the current is taking you and follow it. Overthinking, agitation, pressure are not always the way to make progress. Rest, reflect, listen, get to an intuitive state and follow the muse. This goes for creative endeavours, work, family, persona growth...Take a different tact today and follow it all the way through.
Surprise your peeps with acts of love. Be spontaneous and generous with love surprises for your peeps. See an inexpensive gift for someone you know will love it...buy it! Feeling amorous with your partner, seduce her/him, keep the surprises coming...keep them off guard and enjoy life. You never get moments back so make them count!
Focus, work your routine, stay on track. The urgent often takes over from the important. Make your daily sacred routine the priority and continue down your list from most important to urgent to long term important. Prioritize, work your priorities and don’t give into fireman scheduling. Plan your work and work your plan!
The Hurt will pass and you’ll see the good. It takes time for the sting to lessen enough for you to see the good in the hurt you’ve experienced. People are flawed, all of us. Accept the good, forgive the failures, be thankful and ask for forgiveness too of those you’ve hurt. It’s a cycle both good and bad. Break the bad cycle with the good and don’t let the good cycle be interrupted by the bad. You can always get back on track.
Be comfortable in your own skin. Learn to be comfortable with your body, your personality, YOU... This is easier said than done. For many of us it takes a lifetime to get to this point. If you find yourself THERE...rest in the fact that you’re just fine how you are, rather, you’re perfect the way you are. Resting into YOU and resting into your situation realizing that it’s all perfect today will help you move forward with confidence in the direction your life is taking you.
Feel “Blessed”? TAKE IT! Evaluate your situation and be thankful for the blessings you have. Most importantly, accept the blessings...you’re worthy of the blessings you’ve received...let that sink in. The more accepting and thankful for the blessings you have, the more will come to you. The more you believe you’re blessed, the more you’ll receive. “Count your many blessings, name them one by one...Count your many blessings see what God-The Universe has done.”
Believe for the good things, forget the fear, be positive and naïve! The realists are the ones who will never make anything new or miraculous happen... Bet on the angels and yourself and other’s genius. See the big picture and expect miracles...Get in the receiving state and they will come...
Have a clear goal and leave the method/road open. Visualize as clearly as possible what you want to achieve, then let the Universe give you the way there. Don’t stress about the HOW but focus on the WHAT and most importantly the WHY. The What and Why are your part, the How is the Universe’s business. Focus on your part.
Show gratitude and support to your teachers-colleagues-loved ones. When you make a breakthrough and are excited about your progress...give thanks to those who have supported you. Tell them, do something that’s meaningful for/to them. Your support of those who support you will make more steps possible and fun for both of you.
One Opportunity leads to another... Follow through on the opportunity in front of you, it will lead to the next and then the next. Take one step at a time and move forward. If you’ve made a discovery, move forward quickly and keep the momentum. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be! Let the Universe do the rest.
Make progress, document it and don’t forget where you put it! Part of any task, creative or otherwise, is to remember what you did, evaluate what worked/what didn’t and keep track of where you put it. So many good ideas and progress moments are lost because of poor file management and the lack of documentation. Do less and keep more! Go slow to go fast. Don’t lose momentum or good ideas.
When you meet that person, the next step...take it! So you’re ready, the teacher has arrived, now it’s time to actually follow the yellow brick road and see where it leads. Think less, do more. Let your intuition guide you and help you understand without overthinking. Turn your boat downstream with the current and stop fighting it.
Learn from Cats. Cats can be entertaining creatures and teachers. The ability to stare blankly for long periods of time is a good way to learn to be the watcher of our thoughts. Cats that can be finicky about touch will wait until the moment is right and then open themselves to you. A minute before, they may run away from you in fright, then they come when they’re ready and turn their belly to you in trust, submission and bliss. Learn to wait for the moment, don’t force it, watch, relax and then, when it’s right, the Universe will turn its belly to you for a caress and in submission. Kafka was so correct!
Fight “overwhelm” with soothing music, a positive attitude and good time management. Overwhelm is a common issue for most working people today. We need to work more just to keep up and earn the money to pay for our lives. Developing strategies to help deal with this stress is really important. Sleep is also key. There are a lot of resources for calming and good dietary info to help get ahead of the physical toll of overwhelm...use them, prioritize the effort!
Make the most of the Holidays to celebrate your loved ones. The holidays are an important moment to celebrate those you treasure and let them know how you feel. Be lavish with them! Kind, supportive words of love, kind acts, thoughtful acts, listening, sharing, focused attention...Give them what they need.
Be open to miracles and don’t be attached to them. Let the Universe unfold itself and your life today. Keep positive, relaxed, ready to accept good, ready to be patient, ready to let things mature in their time. Focus on improving you in the meantime. Focus on letting go of stress and yearning. Be happy with what you have and see it and yourself as enough. You’re in the right place, at the right time, right now...grab hold of that and hold on!
You’re always both the student and the teacher. “When the Student is ready, the teacher arrives...” Realize that you are also the teacher for the teacher! You are the missing piece for that person as well. You hold the next message/step for them as they do for you... Bring your unique contribution and see where it goes. Don’t be intimidated by the stature of the person...they can’t do things that you CAN do. They need you too. Have faith in your abilities.
Your life continues to cycle/recycle until you move forward. Are old themes and projects coming back? Are new connections being made? Do you feel you’re finally ready? The moment has come for the next stage...grab it, feed it, work it and take it to the next level. You’re ready.
Have Patience...Good things take time. When you see good things coming...get centered, relax, let go and let it happen in its time. The excitement usually motivates one to want to push, get ready in advance, do whatever you can to accelerate the moment...WRONG! Let it happen in the time needed. Work on yourself in the meantime and let it happen...
The Holiday Season has begun... Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years...the season has started. Focus on loved ones, on celebration, on the turning of the season, shucking of limitations, letting go of anger and fear, starting a new chapter, preparation for the new year...It’s a time of change, decide to make it a loving change with plans for love and support.
October 2023
Stand up and be counted. There are times when boldness is the only way forward. Be courageous to do the right thing. Make sure you’ve thought through the consequences and feel it’s worth it and step up. Not many people are willing to do this. Your courage and boldness will encourage others to do the same.
Recover slowly. Getting over a cold or sickness...when you start feeling better don’t overdo it. Take the time to recover, rest and recharge. Your body is telling you to slow down, pay attention and learn the lesson, whatever that is. If you don’t listen to your body, it will put you back in the condition to slow down.
Organize yourself – work-finances-projects-passions. Some of our best work gets lost because we don’t take the time to organize-archive-label it. Organization also means that you have a plan/workflow and use that to increase your output and progress. The “Knowing-Doing” gap keeps us from getting the most out of ourselves and accomplishing what’s important to us. Start small and watch your organizational skills grow and contribute to your accomplishments.
Design your process to reach your goal. Take your most important goal and then break up the skills you need perform/learn to get there. Do one at a time and put it into your workflow to improve your process. Start with solving a problem/issue and then move to the next. Make it fun, document your process, produce product and achieve your goals.
When the Student is ready, the Teacher appears. Did you listen to, read, watch something/someone that really resonated with you and brought you back to passions/interests you’ve had for a long time?!? Perhaps the teacher has arrived because you’re finally ready for the next step in your life journey/purpose. Years, people, twists, pains, joys have brought you here...Now you’re here and it’s finally time to jump in. Keep it private, get the buy in from important stakeholders and begin...just start, JUST DO IT!
Watch the Tide and Moon... Your life has rhythms. You’ll see the ebb and flow...when the tide comes in, ride it. When it goes out listen, rest and watch for the next step and what you need to do to prepare. Every moment of the journey has its purpose. Sometimes the greatest breakthroughs come in a downtime of sickness, or other disappointment. Watch for the lesson in each phase and grab it.
Study, prepare, work hard and then: LET IT ALL GO AND LIVE THE MOMENT! So many parts of life require preparation and long, hard work. Once you’ve prepared...Let it all go and just feel the moment, your inspiration, the spirit, your inner genius, you inner self. The moments you’ll treasure the most are those when you really let go.
Don’t wait...do it today! We tend to think there’s always time to get to our important projects, hugs with loved ones, kind words, loving encounters...Don’t wait...do the important things today! Make sure you include your important people and projects into your daily life with appreciation, love and respect...seize the moments you have, they may not last or return!
Listen to your body... If you get sick...your body is telling you to make changes and get rest. You’re no good to your loved ones, work, passions, yourself if you’re incapacitated and can’t function. Listen to the message your body is sending and have the good sense to rest and repair. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be up and at’em again. Make the changes your body is telling you to make.
Manage your energy. If you have the time but no energy...it’s all in vain. Find out how your body works, when you’re at your best, how much rest you need, what you need to eat/not eat...exercise... It all counts and leads to your best showing of energy, vitality, creativity, work, love, passion... Learn it, guard it and maintain it daily. Be the Best YOU!
Manage your time, manage your life. Your time is really all you have. Managing your time is your primary duty to yourself, your loved ones, your work, your creative life... Managing your energy/health is a huge part of it. Prioritize your time management, learn how to do it. Do the hard things first so you have time for the rest. Separate work and home so you don’t screw either.
Guard your health...it’s everything. When you’re passionate about work, life, relationships, your passion, learning, making money...make sure you don’t take care of your body who takes care of your soul...Guard it, take care of it and your body will take care of you.
Unplug, soak up some nothing... If you are sick, have an unexpected delay, long flight...trying unplugging and just do nothing, think of nothing...see if a little rest changes your perception, helps you think, comes up with new ideas...try it and see.
Just do the best you can. High performing people can kill themselves with their own expectations. Vow to do your best and let it go. Don’t hurt your health to make miracles happen. Trust the process, reach out for help and do your best! Let go of the rest.
Celebrate the Milestones. Have you made progress of some kind? Spend a moment to celebrate it with others maybe, but most importantly celebrate it with yourself. Journal your thoughts, impressions, sense of accomplishment and peace that milestones bring. Know that it’s all ok in the moment, it always was, and the aggravations/stress/fears are ALL NOT REAL!!! Find that center of peace and lock it in... Like the clouds covering the Sun, go above the clouds and it’s always sunny.
Be a positive leader. If you have any leadership role, decide to be an encourager, a positive person and make people feel good about their work and value. You have a lot of power and influence over people’s lives. They need to work, earn money and you an make it really be a good experience.
Believe in what you’re doing...it will get better. Sometimes it’s a bit of a schlog...keep moving and mostly believe in your work, in yourself. Sometimes the negativity is really between your ears.
Be Positive, lead, do the things you know to do. When the going gets tough, be positive and do what you know to do. Trust your instincts, trust your people and keep positive at all costs. It’s easy to let stress make you irritable, turn off your people and yourself. Avoid this, find a way to keep positive and make the best decisions you can.
Listen to your body. If you’re sick, rest, keep away from contaminating others and get better. Your body is telling you to slow down and get perspective. Listening to your body will change your perspective and help others as well. See your body as wise and listen to the message your body is trying to relay to you. Look for the unexpected synchronicities, lessons or just rest and relax...
Let it all be o.k. When things don’t go according to plan...don’t stress, let it be o.k. and look for the new outcome that could be/will be a wonderful surprise. It’s a reminder that you’re not in control...you never were in control, you never will be. Just let it be o.k., make your best effort, take your best shot, let the chips fall where they may! Don’t kill yourself, your plan needs to be long term...
Prepare, rest and relax your way into the new week. Get ahead of the curve, of the stress, of the busyness with preparation and rest. Soak up the relationship goodness you have and let contentment prepare you for a busy week.
No one cares about your achievements, progress...keep it a secret. Realize that NO ONE cares about your advancements...it just sounds like hubris. Focus on them and you’ll develop a relationship. Focus on you and they’ll resent you for it. Nobody cares...let it go! Do what works in relationships and get the real result that you’re looking for, not your own self expression...
Silence is often the best/only policy when listening. If someone is in pain, angry, tired, venting...just shut up and listen. Any type of response will most likely be the wrong one. Be careful how you agree with them...they can feel that as pressure and go off. The result you’re looking for is support, love and care. Give that to them in a way they need and understand, get out of yourself and into their shoes...not easy but necessary.
Keep your key projects close to the vest. Oversharing can kill a project before it matures. Keep your important projects secret and only share with kindred spirits. If your practice hurts your close loved ones...figure out how to progress without offending. Be considerate but keep your projects alive. The more genius and intuitive you are, the more resistance you’ll receive from those who are not...Figure it out! The “Obstacle is the Way” and you are being led to a deeper experience, you just need to work harder to find it.
Make sure to NOT lose yourself in the busyness. It’s incredibly easy to lose the most important parts of your life in busy moments. Find a way to sneak some of your “stuff” into your day and draw strength from your passions. Let them feed you and balance you.
Roll with the changes. Transitions can come (and often do) unbidden. People quit, family issues flare up, health concerns, world events, financial changes... When you can’t do anything about it...roll with it. Take up the perspective of the observer and watch events unfold. Keep your awareness, self-awareness and perspective and don’t get dragged into other people’s dramas. Stay detached and try to be kind, listen and let go. It will pass and things will settle down, move on.
Gossip can really hurt people. The human need to gossip and slam others is toxic. Social media promotes it and relationships can be based on sharing this crap. Don’t pass on this horrible stuff to hurt others under the guise of sharing, connecting, informing...It just hurts them and hurts your relationship with them for no real benefit. Just stop, say no.
Learn about learning. Take up a new language, a new instrument, a new graphics skill, anything that you like and interests you. Start from GROUND ZERO and really go through a systematic way of learning. What is the result? You reaffirm to yourself the simple truth that YOU CAN LEARN ANYTHING YOU WANT. The key part is the wanting. Make sure it’s something that’s important to you or has always been a curiosity. Learn it right and you’ll find yourself learning all kinds of new and important things.
Give your peeps what they need today. Your loved ones, colleagues, friends get sick and need attention, help, a good listener, GIVE IT TO THEM... Sounds simple, it’s not. Focus on what they need and not on what you think you’re giving. They may not want your version of support...seek to understand what they really want.
October 1st, week 40 2023 - 1,000 days of journaling this journey!
A Special note to celebrate a serious journey into transformation - change - development - joy - peace - abundance and adventure! It all started with Sarah deciding we were going to change together. The rest came from that. The more positive change, the more desire to improve and make it happen. It's a daily adventure with excitement to come...
Let them vent and learn to shut your yapper. Your partner, work colleague, boss, kids...may just need to vent. When the venting starts, just shut up! If you have the temptation to give free advice...DON’T. Just let it ride, go, vent, let the wind pass. They’ll love you for it and it will pass...make sure to wear a helmet...there may be flying objects.
September 2023
Take control of your health. You’re responsible for your health...not your doctor, not your partner...YOU. Get the info, learn, test, work on yourself and find what works for you. You’re both able and need to take control because it’s likely that your doctor will give you bad or incomplete information. It’s YOU so make it count, learn, do and get where you want/need to be.
Listen, just listen and listen some more... Your loved ones, colleagues, bosses, customers really just need to be heard, understood and supported. The only way there is to listen. It’s really difficult to listen well without reaction. The best tact to take is just to be quiet, ask lots of questions and delay your reaction. Sleep on it...get some perspective and then listen some more with better questions. What you do next is probably not as important as listening.
You’re responsible. Our lives are the creation of our choices. Take responsibility for your choices. If you don’t like things, make different choices and change things. Some goals are long term and others short term. Take the steps that lead in the right direction and follow through...stop whining and start doing!
Be yourself. It’s easy to lose yourself in the midst of work pressures, family pressures, stress and fear. Damn the torpedos and be yourself. Don’t try to control yourself, let it all hang out and be you. YOU is the most important part of the equation...keep yourself in the game and let it influence the situation as only you can! Go with it, with you!
Find your place of calm and anchor yourself there. Learn how to relax, center, focus and rest in the calm place of knowing that it’s all ok, has been and will be. Stress and worry feed a fire that is illusory but still burns. Ignore it, stop fueling it and watch it burn out.
Don’t stress, let your life-work-relationships unfold. Facing a challenging week?? Relax, let it go, walk through it one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. Trust that you’ll know what to do when the situation develops. The Universe has your back, YOU have your back...trust that, have “faith in faith.” The illusion of control can be crippling if you don’t think you have it...Let it go!!!
Life really is a play...don’t take it or yourself too seriously... Sometimes things just happen that appear to be a challenge, negative, a path changer, stressful... Take a deep breath, take a step back, get quiet, realize that LIfe is a play and we all have our parts...nothing is permanent, nothing is truly real. Use this awareness to be free, peaceful, trusting that you’re ok, it’s all ok, transitions happen at the perfect time. Get into the flow and go with it.
Soak up the beauty of where your are today/now. We’re ALWAYS going through transitions, growth, change. The illusion of consistency is the real joke. SO...take in this moment and don’t wish to be in another place. It’s all perfect just where you are today... Celebrate that, hug your loved ones harder, learn and enjoy more, be happy, be abundant, feel wealthy, plan-live-be here today.
Be Agreeable when possible. If it really doesn’t matter...let the other person be right, bring you the insight, be appreciated for being smart. It’s so easy to put people down without realizing it. Let them teach you and give you the story-experience-wisdom...You’ll soon realize that there are a lot of people who are smarter than you and you can benefit from their wisdom and experience....enjoy it and appreciate them for it.
Stand up for what you believe. Say what you believe to be true and let the chips fall where they may. Do it in a respectful way, of course, but say it. If need be, forget the respectful and just say it. Fear of offending or reaction or... only puts you in a difficult place going forward. Take your kicks early and move on.
Encourage others without pressing them. When your loved ones request help starting a project...give it to them without advice. If they ask for specifics, give it to them but don’t go over...just watch them discover, learn and do. Give them the same treatment that’s so important to you...Let them learn themselves...
There’s peace/happiness in the “Now”...sit with it. Every now and then stop and reflect that your life is perfect in that moment/this moment/the Now. Entertain the thought that this perfection is there at all times waiting for you to experience it... There really is an “All in All” that is above the clouds, storms and darkness of your illusory life. Get above the clouds for a moment and bask in the Sun.
Find your place of calm and anchor yourself there. Learn how to relax, center, focus and rest in the calm place of knowing that it’s all ok, has been and will be. Stress and worry feed a fire that is illusory but still burns. Ignore it, stop fueling it and watch it burn out.
“Make one person happy.” Make sure that person starts with you. Then move on to your next important person – your significant other, then to the next... Don’t know where to start? Listen actively and see what you hear. Ask questions, be curious, take note, remember and learn. Your “doing” will come from your knowing.
Non Striving, seek rest, restoration, refreshment. Our busy lives, cultural-family-internal pressure to strive leads us on the wheel of constant movement. Get off it for a day-weekend. Let it all go for a day, take a “vacation from your problems” (What About Bob reference). You may discover that it’s all false – illusion – not worth the struggle. Accept what’s here, watch it and let it happen.
Bite off one piece at a time...dig deep. Got a big project? Take it one piece at a time and systematically figure it out. Understanding anything from the bottom up takes time but has long term, positive results. Use that approach with your relationships, work, creative projects, hobbies, things you care about...it’s worth the effort.
Expect Synchronicities and see them increase. You’ll see it when you believe it. Learn to expect synchronicities, serendipity, breakthroughs and miracles...watch them come to you...soon you’ll learn to expect them and not be so surprised when it happens.
Creative Blocks – deal with them! One of the biggest issue you’ll face is the creative block. It could be a long term, systemic issue that goes back to when your parent told you: “You’ll never make any money doing...” or criticism as you’re learning your trade. Resolve to go deep into this and release the hurt, pain, mental issues that are blocking you. Most importantly, JUST DO IT... Don’t let resolution of a block be the block to doing/exercising your creativity TODAY. Get started and let the block, block someone else or something else!
Take a moment to absorb the abundance you feel and be grateful. Are things coming together? Be thankful, hold it for a moment and feel the positive flow...do something that really matters to you in this state and make major progress. Do the thing you’ve been avoiding that’s really important to you. Take the positive energy and make big things happen for yourself. Call it a reward or whatever you need it to be but definitely celebrate by doing that important thing!
Expect good things, believe good things, receive good things. So you’ve done all the prep, worked hard, kept positive and now it’s coming together. Receive it, expect it, believe it and watch it happen. Trust your instincts and do what comes natural to you...you’re ready for this responsibility, deserve it and need to have faith in your ability to make it happen. Celebrate your team and support them.
See your day as a learning experience. Do you have a lot to do and it feels burdensome? Take a deep breath and see it as a way to learn new skills, get better, make progress. The tasks that are tough make you better and increase your skill set... Jump on it, be positive and really learn something!
Seek a place of inner peace and relaxation. Going “into the silence” is the place of peace that nurtures your soul, body, and others through you. Finding a place of peace is often a challenge...make it a priority and benefit from that place of nuture. There are many resources that can help you get there...look for it and it will find you. Decide to be found.
Narrow Your Creative Focus to make progress. Limiting your options and workflow will force you to be more efficient and find a creative road that works for you. Make it simple and the goal reachable then get started. If you have other formats, try it out there too and see how it informs your process, results, creative expression... Start small and see where it takes you. Keep organized, take notes and move forward.
Accomplish your stressful tasks first. Figure out what brings you the most stress and deal with it first thing until it’s accomplished. If it’s a big task, split it up and do one part at a time until it’s finished. Copy, paste, whatever needs to be done to make it work.
Everyone has a special needs situation. A parent, a child, a friend, a partner...we all have someone with special needs in our life. Be kind and patient with people because they’re dealing with tough situations. Be kind to your partner/family most of all because they’re struggling too. Your role may be that of a punching bag... suck it up, take their venting, listen, be silent, don’t offer solutions, try to figure out how to support them, listen, listen, listen...
Stress affects everything... Deal with your stress because it affects your health, sleep, work, performance on all levels. Seeing the real vs. Imagined is key, seeing that it’s all “small stuff” and will pass is key...Realizing that you’ll be ok regardless of what’s happening...A bigger plan is afoot...believe in it and look for the clues of it...Get in the receiving state and see it happen naturally at the right time.
Prioritize Time Off. Take a vacation and be completely unavailable for a week or more. Clear out your mind, work on things that interest you, relax...get a routine together that serves you and follow it. Clearing your head/mind/spirit/soul is really important. Make it a part of your daily routine.
Prioritize Sleep. Use that wonderful time for refreshment and psychic exploration. Music, frequencies, relaxation recordings...find a way to increase your sleep quality. There are a lot of resources... experiment and see what works for you... it’s vitally important.
Decide to take your own advice seriously. We all know our advice for others and we all know our own advice to ourselves. Decide to take your own advice seriously and JUST DO IT. Do it long enough for the habits to take hold. Document the changes and do whatever you can to mark the starting place so you can monitor your progress.
Decide to enjoy your life together today. Make today your life appreciation day. Focus on appreciation for your partner, kids, family, friends, collleagues...Most of all: Do what you love to do, let others do what they need to do and just hang out...soak it up...benefit from the joy and calm and peace of appreciating Life and Living it to the full.
August 2023
Hold people accountable for their responsibilities, including yourself. In Business it’s vital to hold people accountable for what they are responsible for. In relationships it’s probably more important to hold yourself accountable for what you need to deliver to your loved ones. In Business and your personal life it’s important for people to count on you to give them hope, direction, be an example, provide support and listen...
Plow through one issue at a time. Overwhelm is a major issue these days. Just tackle one thing at a time... Overwhelm breeds paralysis and then nothing gets done and stress rises... Just schedule the meeting and see if you can knock it out one at a time...do the “stressbusters” first!
Make your financial plans. The surest drain on a relationship, daily mental positivity, future plans is poor financial planning. Time keeps rolling forward and lost opportunities to save and secure your future keep rolling too. Take the time and put some planning in place, realize where you are and where you want to be and when...get started and adjust as you go.
Celebrate Love, Schedule if necessary! Love and intimacy is a funny thing...it’s really easy to put it off, avoid it, not want to talk about it and destroy it! Take the chance that it’s so important that it requires the same attention you give to your work appointments, your shopping list, your todo list...Maybe a bit of discussion and scheduling will break the log jam! Worth a shot.
Blow off some steam. Every now and then it’s really important to “blow off some steam”, do something out of the ordinary, get a new view. You can do this at home, on a trip, at the office... Mix things up and see what it does for your mood, energy, perspective and most importantly, your relationships! Discover or express a side of you that lies dormant...
Listening is fundamental to any problem resolution. Sometimes...Everytime, listening is the first step to resolving an issue. It may be the first and last step...Make sure you start there. Improve your listening skills, it’s the only one you may need and it certainly is the most important skill for just about any interaction.
Face your issues. Ignoring your issues doesn’t work. How to address the real issues is the tough part. Most of us wait until we can’t ignore or avoid it anymore and there’s a crisis. Crisis thinking-reasoning-planning is not the best time to do it. Like a job search, look for it when you don’t need it and you’ll negotiate better... Deal with your issues before they become a crisis and you’ll have a better outcome.
Drop the Blade! There are things you know you need to stop doing...Drop the Blade...cancel the order you shouldn’t have placed, sell the stuff you don’t use, give away the books that you’ve never read, donate the clothes that don’t fit and that you haven’t worn in more than a year...MAKE SOME CHANGES AND GET TO A NEW PLACE. JUST DO IT!
Start from a place of confidence. Faith/Trust is a decision. Decide to start there and let it be the stronghold of your day. Let it be your bedrock of the other decisions you make and the actions you take. Fear and uncertainty will only bring you more of the same. Take a powerful stand and watch where it leads you.
Watch your life unfold before you. Goal setting, pushing...have their place but sometimes your life is just going to unfold and develop as it should without all of the pushing. Things take time, deals happen when they should and sometimes the pushing slows it down and makes it more difficult/uncomfortable unnecessarily so. LET IT HAPPEN, LET IT UNFOLD, LET GO, ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN AS IT SHOULD. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...
Do you need to spend time putzing through your workflow?! JUST DO IT! Sometimes the creative process requires alone time to just “putz” through your setup and workflow to understand it from the bottom up and make it work. Take that time! You’ll need it. It’s hard to allow this time but very necessary.
Make Happiness, Discovery, spreading joy your purpose. Many of us struggle to know our purpose and fulfill our life goal. Very important yes but being happy, discovering the wonder of living and spreading joy to others...maybe that’s enough. Take life as it comes and try less to change it...roll with it and find joy in the roll. Bring others along in your joy rolling.
Take the time to read the manual and learn something new. Many creatives are not good at reading manuals and actually learning their craft...seems to go against the whole creative purpose. BUT, today, many important pieces of equipment cannot be understood intuitively...SO just put in the time and actually learn how it works...You’ll be proud of yourself and glad you did.
Get your Gig together. Assemble your “Gig” I.e. what you do to perform/express/enjoy. Work it, perfect it, keep at it, increase it, learn it inside and out. Become a Pro with your most precious personal expression...whatever that is. Be ready to perform it when the occasion arises...It will if you’re ready or not so be ready!
Sleep can heal you. The power and importance of good sleep is well documented. Make it a priority in your life. Make the changes to make it happen. There are a lot of resources...find what works for you and benefit from good sleep day 1.
Follow the Rabbit down the Rabbit hole...see where it leads you. Do you have a hunch? Did something unexpectedly work or fail? Take it as a clue to a new adventure of discovery, growth, synchronicity...just do it. Important discoveries are found this way and available to all of us. Listen to your inner guide and where your life is taking you...go with the flow.
Detach from the ties that bind... Family, friends, institutions, habital relationships need to be periodically evaluated...do they still serve and encourage you? Are they still important? Or are they drags on your progress, who you are and where you want to go? Make the evaluation and follow through on the steps you need to take. Have courage, it’s worth it...you’re worth it!
Go into the Silence and see what’s waiting for you there! Let go of the need to constantly be connected and available and online and... Unplug for an hour and listen to what your inner self, higher self, God, the Universe has for you. Stillness takes some practice, get started and keep track of what comes to you...expect a powerful experience.
Avoid Burnout, watch your health, take care of yourself. You’re only good to your peeps, work, yourself if you take care of your stress and don’t burnout. Sleep is key, listening to your body, not over doing it, work-life, hugging your peeps...It’s all important...Be Smart!
Gather your enthusiasm to face the tide! A ship is meant to sail on the high seas and get to a destination regardless of the conditions. We are the same. The resistance is often the lift that raises us to new heights. Look at your life as an adventure and get pumped for the challenges...the only way to fly and live.
Learn the signs of getting back on track and celebrate it. When you’re getting back to your routine after losing it and feeling the positive results...reinforce it so you can keep going. Celebration of good habits raises your enthusiasm and the ability to continue for that month that puts it firmly in place. Make the good habits work for you as powerfully as the bad habits do.
Unexpected issues are for a reason... When something unexpected happens...roll with it and look for the alternative uses of time...there’s something for you to learn, experience, deal with...Get busy! Let the irritation go and look for the reason/learning experience.
Be glad you have work to do! Being thankful for the work at hand is important to dealing with the many issues that arise daily. Your work at hand may be your job, your family responsibilities, or even the work on yourself. Whatever your work is...be thankful for it! Watch it form you and help you grow and take you to the next level.
Walk through your day as it comes... The most relaxing way to approach the day is to just do it...Don’t overthink, don’t expect, just walk through it.
Focus on what you can do with the time and energy you have...it’s alright! Ambitious people have big goals and push themselves. It can be frustrating because the work moves slowly, and things/life get in the way. Just keep swimming/paddling/moving forward and let that be ok. You’re learning at your pace and that just has to be ok. Accept yourself and your pace!
Expect to be lead today by higher powers and synchronicities. Look for and expect support from outside of yourself or your higher self. Expect that your timing is right and you’ll be lead through your experiences. “Have faith in faith,” and look for the evidence of this divine intervention in your life today. Record what you see, feel and what happens. Today is a special day.
Believe in your miracles, in your adventure, in your dreams. Every now and then there’s a glimpse of a miracle...things work out as you dreamed it. What do you do next?! DREAM BIGGER, bring your peeps along with you and make their dreams come true too. Believe in the impossible, the unlikely, write it down, make it happen. GO FOR IT, JUST DO IT!!!
Keep positive, a powerful week ahead is coming! Sometimes your strongest move is one of faith in the unseen, not realized. Grab on to an exciting outcome and believe it, then see it come through and celebrate it...Do it again! Try this with your loved ones, people who are suffering, your work and your personal passion goals...watch it pop!
Speak Truth to Power, especially for the weak... Don’t be bullied by bosses, situations, even loved ones. There are times to play nice and there are times to stand up and say “NO.” Don’t be afraid of telling things like they are. People in places of power are often acting from a place of fear themselves hoping no one will notice. Call their bluff and do what you think is right...they’ll most likely respect you for it. Be prepared to face the consequences and have a plan, be prepared. Retreat before attack may be a necessary strategy. Stay debt free and live in that power.
Detach from the drama and make the hard decisions. Your present situation will not change until you make the necessary decisions and follow through. Take out the emotions/drama/pride/anger and deal with the core issue(s). If it’s complicated...break it up and do something specific and doable. Start there and knock out the issues one at time but do SOMETHING today!
Avoid your triggers. If you’re an addictive type and have made progress in dealing with your issues...beware that flirting with your triggers will burn you. Don’t worry, you can get up again and mount the horse...get back on track. Avoid your triggers and jump deeper into your good habits to deal with the temptation.
July 2023
Listening and Laughter are important medicine. Dealing with long term issues that won’t go away...ever?! Listen to your partner, find a way to laugh together. Feel the load lighten and don’t try to fix anything...just listen and laugh. It might not make sense (especially to the males) but it may help and is worth the effort...rinse and repeat!
Be Thankful for acts of love. Sometimes it’s hard to accept nice gestures of love, kindness and recognition... Let people love on you and be appreciative of their efforts...reciprocate...give back and play the fool to join in the fun... People like a human colleague, partner, boss, employee... That’s where it all is at the end of the day.
Write out your perfect day and live it today. We know what we want for a perfect day...take a weekend day and give it a shot. Be intentional and just do it. Eat right, exercise, meditate, make progress on your goals, create something, do something that helps you sleep, do something fun, have joy, speak of good things, let go of the negativity COMPLETELY... See how it goes and document it.
Make a full break with Negativity today... It’s so easy to talk garbage about other people. This seems to be a natural tendency that I want to break and not participate in. I realize that Mike, Sarah and certain employees and I tend to speak negatively first. I want to change this today. No more of this stuff... No justified resentments – they destroy you. Let go of them. Disregard other people’s constraints.
Get in the Receiving State and Receive what you need. Get quiet, clear your mind and get into the “receiving state” where everything comes to you effortlessly. Let Go of negativity in all of it’s forms and focus on the good, love, effortless supply, joy, peace, silence, calm... Stop the shouting and engage the listening. Let go of the residue of anxiety and worry. It will all work out, you will figure it out, you’re in the right place today with the right people, doing the right things.
Useless conflict – really is useless... The dumb arguments and button pushing we do with our loved ones and close colleagues is really a colossal waste of time... When you find yourself falling into these patterns, just STOP and restart or just STOP and BE SILENT!!! Give it a try and see if you can avoid the dumb fights that don’t accomplish anything and simply waste time.
Avoid habits that harm your health. When you try to get back on track with your consumption of foods, liquids, sugar, caffeine...associate the side effects with improvement so you can keep moving forward and push through the discomfort. The forces of addiction are very strong and it’s important to associate your progress with your goal so you keep going! You can do it!
Slow-sluggish start? Keep moving, keep positive, have faith. Faith and trust in yourself, your loved ones, your work, the Universe and your life is an invisible thing. There are days when you don’t see it, feel it and would rather return to bed...Get up and face the day knowing you could be one step away from a breakthrough. Keep positive and look for the opening...have faith in faith today and hold on!
There’s a lot of suffering out there...be kind and supportive. All of us have something to deal with and suffering so always look to be kind, supportive, understanding. There’s no way to know what people are going through...except that they have suffering that they’re dealing with. Be kind to yourself too... you’re part of the “everybody” and need support.
Focus on real priorities. Busy work is a waste of valuable time and energy. Figure out your priorities and work on the most important task first until it’s finished. Develop your key skills and work on them daily until you benefit from your expertise. Become a Pro at what matters, the most effective resource in the room...everyone will benefit.
Learn to relax. Feeling relaxed and at peace is a premium in this digital-hectic world. There are a lot of resources available to assist but the main thing is learning to detach for short moments and then make it longer. The benefit of unplugging is amazing: peace, happiness, clarity, perspective, love, awareness, loss of fear. Find a way to move in this direction today so you can grab short bites of peace during your day.
Celebrate all the good you have. There are moments of realizing how far you’ve come and how much you appreciate the life you’ve built. There are always challenges, desires for the next thing, hoping/praying for improvements...BUT, your present place may be a big accomplishment...celebrate-appreciate-enjoy it! Share your appreciation of your loved ones – they made it possible and they are sharing it with you.
Get out in nature, get some sun, with your peeps. We really are creatures of nature and benefit from contact with it. Walking on a path in a woods, on the beach, in your backyard, around the workplace...Get out and benefit from the sun, fresh air, movement, seeing green, the roll of running water or the ocean. If you can bring your loved ones with you...even better!
Make a powerful move towards an important goal today. Take one REALLY IMPORTANT GOAL and make a major move towards realizing it today. Got debt? Make a big payment and eliminate something. Overeat? Do a single portion and go and exercise or do something to get your mind away from eating. Relationship...just listen actively and shut your mouth. Decide to do what matters at work today. Use a todolist to stop procrastinating and get it done... TAKE YOUR OWN ADVISE AND FOLLOW THROUGH.
Figure out your most important moments and increase them! Becoming aware of what matters to you is key to doing more of it. It’s key to realizing when a moment is happening and going all in with it. The most important moments to focus on are those with your loved ones. When you see them engaging and sharing...jump in!
Focus the Holiday on Your Peeps. Got a Holiday off? Make sure your peeps receive the benefit of your time off. Take that extra time and focus and apply it to them. The simplest way is to just talk and listen to what they say. Take steps to become a better listener.
Seeing things from other’s perspective is the only way out in most situations. When you run into understanding roadblocks, the only way through is to see it their way and experience the issue from their perspective. In many cases there is no wrong or right, just a different way of seeing it. If you want to get to the other side, walk a minute/a mile in their shoes... Let go of your perspective and of being right...being right but alone means nothing.
Fell off the horse?! Get right back on. Your best attempts at change will sometimes be met with a fall on your face. Get right up and do it again. Make the adjustments you need to make. Realize your triggers and build new, positive triggers that bring you what you want/need.
Roll with the changes. Unexpected issues that alter your program/routine???...Roll with them. Look for the synchronicity, added time to work on projects that interest you, do a longer fast, try silence, sleep/rest/meditate, take a walk...make it a positive event. If you can’t do anything about it...release to the moment and see what’s coming...it IS coming...
Made a breakthrough?!? You’ve discovered something new that is helping you reach your goals...others may see it as a religion or fanaticism or a temporary flash in the pan. Keep your discovery a secret, share it only with safe people, test it to see if you’re a better, more loving person and make others feel better about themselves. If it passes this test, you’re on to something. Dig deeper, learn more, give and most importantly BE MORE. The only real evidence that it’s true for you is that others notice your new sense of happiness, listening, encouragement of them and positive place in the world.
Make it your day. If you feel controlled by your work, other people...choose to make a break and develop the day the way you need it to be. Changes in your schedule may make a difference today but will be forgotten a day later. Do what you need to do today and don’t let anyone keep you from it, especially yourself and your sense of obligation...
Do a fast cleanse. Let your body heal itself by fasting. Let the autophagy kick in and rid yourself of toxins and cells that need renewal. Your body is intelligent and knows what it needs. Give it a chance to digest and rid itself of the bad and renew the good.
Get rest! Learn to find ways to increase your sleep, rest, solitude, silence, and peace of mind. The sensory overload of our digital age is overwhelming, and we often don’t realize it. Take a break, go for a period without the tech, go without speaking, rest, meditate, walk in nature, clear out your head.
Manage your finances and your peace of mind. Get out of debt! Debt makes you feel enslaved to others and makes decisions for you...get out and stay out. Our culture on all levels is fighting you but it’s your peace of mind that counts...guard it.
Do regular resets! There are high and lows and you’ll get off course periodically and need to do a reset. Just do it, don’t think too much or prepare for it. Follow new information as it comes and grow. Follow the synchronicities of your life and take them seriously.
Sometimes silence and active listening are the only solutions. Every situation is amenable to listening and just being quiet. There’s always a moment to speak but there’s more room for silence. Let your words count be measuring them and having fewer of them... This goes for relationships, work...
Sleep is everything... The ability to get good sleep is a major challenge as we age and as we confront our digital/stressful lifestyle. Do, learn anything you can to deal with your version of this issue. Thankfully there are a lot of resources available...pick a lane, experiment and figure it out...it’s crucial to the quality of your life, your relationships and your work.
Figure out the one thing that counts and do that today. In any part of life there is ONE thing that’s the most important to move the needle. Decide to concentrate on just that one thing today...move the needle, push the buttons, send up the flare, make progress...JUST DO IT!
June 2023
Embrace it all! It’s not “for better or for worse” it’s both most of the time. The good times don’t last and the bad times don’t last...the fluctuation is normal and you just need to make your best decisions based on what you know and give it a shot...you’ll most likely need to adjust as you understand more.
Seize the Day – Week – Month. Get ahead of the stress and deadlines by making your plans and executing early in the process. There’s nothing worse than feeling late, stressed, doing poor work... Take the time and make it count!
Give yourself the “dwell time” to work on an important task. Some important tasks require the percolation time to reflect on your presentation as you go...schedule that time so you give your best work. Realize that the last 5% may be where the genius appears... Don’t rush your process and relax in your own inner intelligence to come through.
Waste time and focus on your loved ones. Unplug, detox your work mind and waste some time on the people you love. Do errands, nothing, relax, go out...whatever they want to do.
Finish Strong! If you have a task that’s exhausting...keep going and finish that last 5%, it will make all the difference and then plan some recharging. Also, don’t forget that your most important contact is when you get home to your loved ones...make them feel special even if you’re spent...they most likely are exhausted/stressed...too. Take the time listen and give them the attention they need and deserve. They make your life sweeter and they are the reason for all of the effort and sacrifice.
Be Agreeable. The person who is always critical or negative or finds the dark spot is tough to be around. Be the person who finds common ground and finds a way to be agreeable. You’ll get much further in conflict situations and do better in all of your relationships. Being right may be temporarily satisfying but long term...it’s a lonely proposition.
Be a daily-weekly-monthly-yearly LEARNER! Commit yourself to learning every day. What you learn will come in handy at some point and most likely very quickly. The ability to develop solutions is what you loved ones, employers, friends really need from you. Give them that! You’ll be giving it to yourself. Be the humble person who’s learning from everyone in the organization, family, friend group...you’ll be more fun to be around. Be teachable.
Be the best YOU. The only way to deliver your best is to be the best YOU so you’re firing on all cylinders and delivering the best you have: Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually... Get your rest, take care of your diet, move your body, be positive, give hugs and encouragement and have some fun.
Focus on the results you need to deliver. Identify your deliverables in all areas of your life, write them down, make action plans to follow and execute. Follow up with evaluation of the results and adjust them one by one. At the end of the day it’s what you do, what you deliver and what you measure that makes the difference to you, your loved ones and those that depend on you.
Accept the Abundance that’s coming your way. When things start happening it’s remarkably easy to discount and dismiss the obvious synchronicities and Universe events that made it happen. It’s also easy to dismiss the years of your preparation that went into the moment. Accept it, acknowledge it and expect that it will continue to unfold...Watch the magic happen and get on the side of the Angels.
Put yourself out there and ignore the fear and do it anyways. Fear keeps us from believing in ourselves. Sometimes you just need to dare to be you and believe in yourself. Just do it!
Focus on your most important person today exclusively. Your closest loved one needs you today. If it’s a weekend or holiday, focus only on that person. They need it, you need it and it will be an investment in your most important relationship that won’t be forgotten. Do something new or nothing and just talk, binge watch shows you both like, go shopping...
It’s Time to Believe. The moment has come to believe in yourself, your dreams, your goals, your relationships, your future, your present. Believe in the synchronicities that are showing the shouts of the Universe to you. What’s next?! Be confident, be bold and Just do it! The Universe will give you the directions you need. You just need to do what comes to you and not second guess ANYTHING!
Relaxing is Important! Unplugging, relaxing, enjoying loved ones, putzing around...all good. Work needs to have a break to recharge. Take your off time as seriously as you do your work. Learn to play just for the joy of doing it. Waste time on people you love, shower them with gifts – attention – just hanging out.
Take the time to Listen to your loved ones... They need to talk, be listened to, have your attention, have your focus. A busy, successful schedule will not leave time for your significant others...they need you and your attention. It’s easy to neglect them and forget how important it is to them.
Believe in yourself and your plan. It’s easy to wait, procrastinate, be overcome by fear... Just put yourself out there and believe that your talent, purpose and plan are real. If you have an opportunity and a deadline...go for it! Then, prepare in advance for the next one so you can get to the gig faster and feel more prepared.
A Low is not the end, turn it around! Regardless of your place in life, money, loved ones, no loved ones...you will have low moments. Take the lows as a challenge to improve, up your game, find out what works, move the needle, get to a new place. Document the moment so you’ll remember how far you’ve come in the future! It’s all temporary – highs and lows so don’t let it limit where you’ll go, your mood and life...you can get to a better place!
Trust the Force. The same energy/cosmic being/spirit/vibe...that brought you the challenge and the opportunity will bring the ability to do it. Trust that the chops will arrive in time to do the work and be successful. It may be a learning experience, but that’s part of it too. Make it work by daring to make it work.
Ready to launch? Let go of the fear and jump! Your opportunity to launch has come, it’s risky and scarey, you’re second guessing yourself...just jump, get yourself out there and go for it! There’s no easy way, time, place to begin...just begin and let it happen. Give it your best shot and take the risk...let your preparation and talent and luck take you where it will.
Leave the negativity alone... It’s really easy to fall into the negativity game, complaining, gossiping, talking smack...TOO easy. Avoid this and maintain guard over your thoughts and emotions. Your thoughts will feed emotions, that feed moods, that feed interactions and lead you down a difficult path. Go for the positive, the solutions, the light at the end of the tunnel, positive talk, positive people... Your life will lighten up, brighten up accordingly.
Let joy carry you. If you find yourself happy about something...anything, let it soak in and give you strength. Grab on to any joy and laughter you can...it’s healing, contagious and will change your inner and outer circumstances. No joy? Look for it, remember it, it’s there somewhere if you just let your mind go to those moments.
Each day has a mind of its own...go with the flow and see where it takes you. Sometimes you just need to acknowledge that the day and life are bigger than you and are taking you places you never could have imagined...go with that! See what comes and embrace it. Believe that good is coming your way and you’ll be ready for it. Challenges will also come and you’ll be ready for those as well...Just do it!
Clear, time bound, important Goals are energizing. Take an important goal, put a deadline on it, make it crystal clear and doable and then do it...see how it makes you feel. Make sure it’s something that moves the needle for you. Get busy, just do it!
Take a moment to really appreciate the abundance of your life. Reflect today on the life blessings you have right in front of you. Enjoy a quiet moment of listening to your significant other, friend, loved one, child, parent, sibling... Enjoy the sound of nature, sound of silence, a favorite tune... Just be thankful, express thanks and expect it to increase/continue/grow/change...just like you and everyone else.
Decide to “Turn Pro” today in the important parts of your life. It’s time to take yourself, your life, your purpose, your family, your work...seriously and actually do what you know to do...Turn PRO! Today is the day. The procrastination, excuses, addictions have held you in limbo for too long...today is your independence day...Liberate yourself from mediocrity, Just do it!
Night stress often amounts to nothing...Waking up in the middle of the night and stressing about something you can’t address is a waste of time and robs you of the peace/rest you desperately need. Try to avoid mulling over the issues at night. Oftentimes, the issue is easy to resolve in the light of day...don’t waste your peace!
When Life rolls on you, roll with it. Sometimes the unexpected happens and there’s nothing to do but deal with it and relax...Learn to roll with your life and realize that there may be a deeper timing or situation that you simply cannot know...it’s ok...no permanent damage!
Focus on the real important priority – your loved ones. Taking your loved ones for granted is a real issue when you’ve been away for work, or had any other time away. Realize that they are your most important part of your life and make sure to take care of them.
Life is helping others feel good about themselves. We all live with challenges, issues, problems, frustrations, resentments...rare is the person who lifts us out of our bad feelings and helps us feel hope, confidence in ourselves and hope for a better future. Decide to be one of those persons today for as many people as you can, in whatever way you can, wherever you are...!
Your fatigue and burnout can affect your relationships. The negative stress of fatigue-burnout can hurt your loved ones without you realizing it. Be aware of this tendency and take special care to counteract it. It’s easy to slip into being short and angry when you don’t feel well...Don’t let this be an excuse. Realize too that your loved ones are also in the same situation and slip them slack (that you want them to extend to you!).
Be grateful for the adventure. Life really is one big adventure. There are so many winds-twists-turns-reversals...they’re all part of the story – your story. Ride with the current, let go of the fear and need to control, see what’s next and decide how you want to react. Lots to learn and your life is your path to your learning and growing regardless of your age, life experience, point in life...GO FOR IT! Be bold and just DO THE NEXT STEP...!!!
Finish the job, then rest. If you’re at the end of an important trip or task...finish strong and stay the course, giterdone, do the work and make it happen...don’t stop the momentum. Finishing what you start is fundamental to moving your goals forward...Just Do It.
Let today be an adventure. Big day ahead?!? Decide to allow it to be an adventure, and not a burden or a stress. Let yourself go and trust your intuition, Spirit, Higher Self...the Universe. Stress is between your ears just as the limitations that you accept and the fears that you harbor...Let it all GO!!! Be yourself, be comfortable in your own skin, do the best you can and don’t stress about what you cannot change...Live in Wisdom and high expectations today.
Respect others and they’ll respect and appreciate you. If you’re in a position of authority at work, home, a faith institution, your neighborhood HOA...treat others with the respect that you want for yourself. How you treat people says so much about you...the Golden rule is golden for a reason! Never forget that everyone is fundamentally the same and deserves your care and support and respect.
Just walk through the day. Anticipation of a tough day usually brings a tough day...Lighten up, take it one hour at a time, find the joy wherever you can and just stroll through the day. It’s easy to “stress up” just about anything with fearful/negative expectations. What you expect is what you believe and will receive...Try a different strategy today and see how it goes!
Focus on Today! Our busy weeks can build up anxiety for what’s coming...dealing with the future really only brings stress. Focus on relaxing, recharging, preparing rather than being fearful or angry about what’s coming. It won’t be as bad as you think.
Timing is everything. You’re always making your best moves in the situation you find yourself in. Don’t overextend yourself if you’re not ready. Look at where you’re at and move that way... Better to keep with your plans and not risk the family fortune on a bet or gambling in whatever form it takes. Don’t leverage yourself up either...it always bites.
Grab your opportunities and be Bold... If you see the Red Sea parting and an important opportunity at hand...grab it, jump in, commit. Be smart, of course, but don’t miss the moment, especially if it’s a unique one. Let your gut, inner wisdom, trusted confidant...help you decide and move.
Life is fluid, we’re all experiencing and growing. The illusion of static reality breaks down when you realize that: you’re getting older, you have new experiences in front of you, your loved ones are growing and ready for new adventures, the world keeps changing... We’re all in this river of change whether we want to admit it or not. EMBRACE IT! Go with the flow and experience this wonderful adventure with all of its bumps, challenges and joys...this is what you’re here for.
Feeling good is everything...guard it. After a good night’s sleep and healthy eating the day before you feel good...Remember that, guard it, stay true to your program that puts you in a good-energetic-positive state. It’s easy to slurg or give in to blowing off steam because of your stress...these splurges usually bring consequences...learn from them and get back to health-energy-positive expectations. Your life will change as a result.
Deal with your own “knowing-doing” gap. We all have recurring issues in our lives and we know exactly what to do but are not doing it... Take one of these today and make the change. Document your progress, give it time and celebrate your progress. Knock out one at a time.
Embrace your constraints... Wherever you are in life there are constraints, obstacles, ongoing issues...embrace them, deal with them directly and realize they are part of your journey. These constraints lead you in a direction...turn your canoe downstream and flow with the current...it’s not a mistake but a guide to where you’re going.
Don’t despair, things can change. It’s easy to assume that things will always work out as they have in the past. Be persistent...things change, even dramatically for the better. Put your faith in change regardless of appearances. Look for momentum and expect it to continue, believe in hope and change. Make sure the change begins with you!
Prioritize, delegate and keep your eye on the ball. Busy schedules can keep your focus on fires and lose the important. Prioritizing and letting go of the less important is the only way to address this issue. Clarify your big rocks and focus on them until you have them under your fingers.
Decide to leave your positive mark on... Part of being positive and thankful is to decide to make things better for: Loved ones, your work/company, your own balance (work-health-spirit-love-mission). It’s a powerful decision that brings wonderful consequences and a lot of work/dedication to make it happen. Choose your best life and your contribution...we will all benefit from your decision-commitment-execution.
Energy comes from Enthusiasm. If you find yourself with a compelling, exciting reason to get out of bed in the morning, you know you’re on the right track, in the right relationship, doing good work, chasing your life purpose, ready to make a difference. Celebrate your newfound energy and excitement for life and stoke the fire...
Let yourself experience today’s adventure! Look at today as an adventure of discovery and experience. Enjoy every part of the day, even the misadventures. Let it happen, be present, be thankful and watch for the wonderful unexpected synchronicities to manifest before you and because of you.
Start out a new period by sticking to a protocol. We all know what to do, it’s a matter of getting ourselves to do it. Develop a protocol for yourself in the area you need to improve and stick to it rigorously for a month. Document your progress and issues and the outcome. Make a powerful habit and benefit from it. Test it thoroughly, research, make course corrections and figure out how to get yourself to be consistent...one step/day/issue at a time.
Have a vision for living your purpose. Decide on your purpose (easier said than done). Pretend that you know it and follow the passions you have always had and start there. Figure out how to make your passion a part of your daily routine-spiritual practice-discipline-habit...whatever you need to call it. Make it very easy to get in the zone and work it. Document your progress, changes, results...and make course corrections.
The excitement of uncertainty. None of us knows what tomorrow holds. This can be frightening and it can be invigorating. Add mortality to the equation and you can be in total panic OR... Make this life the most interesting adventure it can possibly be. Pick a passion, dream a dream and get busy chasing it. Stretch into new things, challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone and do things you never dreamed of...
Fix things and move on. Regardless of the area of your life...identify the issues and fix them. Yes, easier said than done BUT if you don’t begin fixing things the issues will multiply and become overwhelming. It’s easy to give up once the overwhelm sets in. Act quickly and fix what you can...it will give you encouragement to fix the bigger issues. Divide and conquer, break it up into manageable sub issues and gain momentum. Document your progress, set time bound goals and write your story!
Awareness that the Universe is bringing you surprises everyday... The paradox is clear: You’re creating your life and the Universe is bringing you the unexpected every day as well. The strategy: make your best plans, release your attachment to them, roll with what comes. There are no accidents and what is in front of you is the perfect thing and you need to embrace it and deal with it. The surprises are many which is the beauty of this existence...ROLL WITH IT! BE GRATEFUL, STOP COMPLAINING AND FIND OUT THE BLESSING/LESSON/GROWTH/BEAUTY.
Awareness that you’re creating your experience is powerful. You are the creator of your experience. Decide to live at a higher level and actually do the things you know to do. Take this moment in your life by the horns and make it into something significant. The obstacles are part of the experience and necessary and even helpful.
Take your issues as opportunities to learn new things. Work, relationships, life challenges are great opportunities to learn. Change your perspective and see your work challenges as an MBA, for example. Decide to be a lifelong learner and your lessons as your curriculum. Your change in perspective and awareness will make your current moment a worthwhile experience.
Review your goals and start going after them. Good goals help move you forward. Choose goals that will have an important effect on your life and get busy. Chart your plan, assign a date, keep track of your progress, what works and what doesn’t.
Keep to the program. If you find that your health routine is going well watch for reactions if you make major changes. Sugar, alcohol, junk food, processed foods...all can have a major effect on your mood, performance, outlook... “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” or “don’t fall off the wagon,” the fall can be painful and getting back may be difficult. Get back to your successful routine...you’ll benefit from it.
See where the current is going today and flow with it. Some days require less thinking and more “going with the flow”. Give it shot, maybe on a weekend when it matters less...see where it takes you. Observe your feelings and desires and see what actions they lead you to. Hug your loved ones more today. Tell them what they mean to you, why you appreciate, admire and love them. Encourage your closest peeps...they need to hear from you today!
Relax, prepare for the week, it’s going to be a busy/positive one. Make sure to maximize the down times and take the time to prepare slowly for the busy week. The more prepared you are, the better and more relaxed you’ll be.
Slow down to move faster. Take the time to reflect, meditate, get in touch with your inner intelligence and make good decisions and use your energy wisely. Working fast and making mistakes is where the issue often lies. A relaxed mindset is the best place to work from. You’ll find yourself much more effective by taking time to get quiet and reflect before acting. You can also ask for time to review prior to making a hasty decision.
Relax and extract yourself from the Drama... Stepping back is helpful to getting the perspective of the situation. There’s no external power over you...your power is yours to give up. Become Aware of the reality of your control over your life. Live in fearless abandon because this adventure is truly of your design...don’t give it up out of fear.
April 2023
There are no accidents. Small changes in schedule, unexpected issues...all are getting you somewhere you need to go, interact with people you need to meet. Go with the flow when circumstances change rather than fighting against them or getting mad. Watch where the situation takes you and be thankful. You’re in the perfect place right now.
Your personal, positive attitude will go a long way. Remember that people’s satisfaction with work and every relationship is how they feel from their contact with you. Your support and positive encouragement will make the difference in the people who support you and your endeavours. If they feel encouragement and feel better about themselves...they’ll continue with you. Never forget this!
Ask for what you need. If something goes wrong and you need to adjust...ask for what you need and don’t be shy. People are willing to help and to make allowances for you. Your appreciation for their understanding will go a long way towards future assistance. Your willingness to reciprocrate will be important and a good karma exchange.
Experiencing a good moment...absorb it... Stop and smell the roses when the moment is there. Moments of happiness need to be treasured, appreciated and savoured. Appreciation brings more of what you’re appreciating...let your loved ones know how important they are and how glad you are that they’re in your life. Gratitude is a virtue...practice it!
Enjoy the day, don’t think about anything...just feel. Unplug completely for a day and see how that feels. Take in your loved ones, solitude, dumb chores, do nothing, read a book...do something out of the ordinary that you never have time for. See how that goes and document it tomorrow.
Relax and let it ride. Take the day as it comes...don’t even think about anything just see where it takes you. Sometimes the over planning, goal setting... needs to be set aside and just see what happens.
Be agreeable and light where it doesn’t matter. Learn to let go of the dumb stuff that doesn’t matter. True for your business life, family life, friends... Most of the time it’s just not necessary to hold to your position. If it doesn’t really matter to you...let it go. “Smile and wave boys” Help manage your stress level and keep it light as much and often as possible. “Don’t sweat the small stuff...and it’s all small stuff!”
When unexpected challenges come up...roll with it! Surprises come up at the most awkward times...just go with it. Be as smart as you can be and just walk through it. No need to get anxious or angry, just roll with it. If there’s nothing you can do...do nothing and wait! Learn to relax through the stressful events that come up unexpectedly.
Do your own research. There are many polarizing opinions and accepted facts that need to be challenged. Do your own research, learn on your own, make up your own mind. It’s easy to go along with the herd, believe what your elders/parents/doctors/politicians...say. Work on the issues that mean the most to you...follow your passions and dig in.
Just decide to tell a positive story and stop complaining. Negativity and complaining is a choice...choose something different...try a “positive complaint” and go with that. Avoid negative conversations and those who love to revel in them. If you stop giving energy to those things...they’ll deflate.
Rest, knock out your stress busters and prepare for the week. Use that relax time on a weekend to get a few things done that will make the week go better. Get ahead of the game. Write down your important tasks to focus and let go. Do that one thing that you’re avoiding, prep the others. Spend time with your loved ones, listening, encouraging, participating, doing new and good things. Be kind to your body...you need it!
Be Smart! The fluctuations of the market, world events, local events, family events, personal issues...It’s easy to panic or have knee jerk reactions... Keep a cool head and make good decisions.
Settle in and buckle up! Your new reality will require some settling, getting into a good groove, developing a rhythm... There will be a lot of new experiences so get ready for the ride! Your routines, habits, daily programs will all be the way to balancing excitement, reflection, family, work and soul growth. Use all of your tools, you’ll need them!
Resist the pull to negativity. Even when things are REALLY GOOD, it’s easy to become negative and start sinking your own boat...RESIST THIS TENDENCY WITH EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT! You do disservice to those who are supporting you by being negative and complaining. Find a way to tell a positive story even if it’s a tough moment. Tough moments pass, tough people survive, thrive and are needed in every organization.
Just Thrash around and let it make impressions... Often the NEW is amenable to just jumping in, get your intuition connected and “learn by doing.” Some things require a manual, study, analysis... Jump in and see which approach works for which task. If one way doesn’t work, use the other. You’ll figure it out! Remember that you’re always a beginner at something.
Ring-in the new. Celebrate new beginnings, allow yourself to enjoy the experience, be thankful for it, learn from the new people, take it all in. Attach your inituition to understand what you have in front of you. See the opportunities and make them grow and develop. Celebrate the Day and Yourself in it.
Believe you can do it, don’t give in to the voice. It really is true that there’s a voice inside of you that is negative and seeks to talk you out of any new or important goal/desire/passion you have. Realize that it exists and that it’s not real and believe in your ability to do what you’ve set out to do.
Make time for healthy, enjoyable activities...there’s always a reason not to. We all have activities that we know are good for our health, relationships, work, personal growth...and yet we don’t do them: we’re tired, we’re angry, we’re too busy... Call B.S. on yourself and JUST DO IT...whether you feel like it or not, whether you’re too busy... You’ll be surprised at how important and enjoyable it is...
New Adventure, new mindset. Put new wine into new wineskins! Your new reality requires new thinking, the ability to let go as negatives experiences come your way. Make room for the new, get excited, extend your tent stakes and get ready for the ride...
Easy does it...one step in front of the other. Exciting events can have you living on adrenaline...Don’t try to eat the Elephant in one bite...go slow, be systematic and go through a process of digestion and internalizing the new situation. You’ll figure it out...have trust in yourself and your abilities. We’re all just bumbling through this life experience, take it easy and enjoy it!
Homeostasis is the rule, be the exception! Most, if not all, of us are creatures of habit and do the same things year after year throughout our lives. Real change, consistent change, requires putting in place a “new normal” for you to try to maintain. Short term fixes don’t work...long term lifestyle changes do work but they require time, commitment and daily habits. Start this journey, decide where you want to end up and begin it today...one habit at a time...start with habits of the mind, then body, then??!!
Let the silly stuff go... There is so much pettiness these days on all levels (work, politics, family...). Let it go...it’s not worth the mental energy. Decide what’s important to you and your family and just forget the rest.
Let the Abundance Flow... There’s genius in the silence. Learn to let go, get quiet, go into the silence and start creating good stuff. Learning to relax and center yourself will bring you to that place. Your life will change for the better once you can get to that place regularly...it’s worth the effort.
Be Generous with your Abundance... Make giving be your first response to abundance that you attract. Give to those who need it and who you really owe it to. Those people who have stuck with you and supported you through all of your ups and downs. Make your abundance a gift to the world and do it today.
Go with your Adventure. Life itself is an adventure “or it’s nothing at all.” So true, let yourself revel in the adventure of this life and what you have to look forward to today. Be present and look for the excitement in the NOW. It’s there if you look for it. Don’t postpone joy, lightness, love, touching, encouraging, laughter for a better moment. The best moment is now and today...It may be all you have...make it count...JUST DO IT.
Let it Flow... If you’ve pointed your boat downstream with the current and it’s beginning to move...let go and let it take you where you need to go. The Universe is so much more powerful than you and has bigger plans for you than you can imagine...let it take control and relax into it. Learn to breathe, relax, sleep, eat better, exercise, hug, love and laugh.
When Big Change happens, remember to breathe. The change moments can be very challenging...take it slow, let your body rhythm speak and guide you. Help your body, soul, spirit by breathing and learning how to relax and get into Alpha to replenish your insides. Your life is an inside-out regiment. Take advantage of every calming technique you know and can learn. You’ll need it in this change moment. Take care of YOU.
When the excitement starts...slow down and keep a cool head. When things start to go, they go quickly which is when it’s important to follow your plan and move slowly and decisively. Don’t be afraid, but don’t be impulsive or stupid! Others will have their opinions. Keep your own counsel and do what your awareness and intuition tell you to do...
When the big move happens...take it slow. Significant changes in your life and situation can happen very fast. Collect yourself, take it slow, follow the plan, don’t panic or make impulsive decisions.
“The only thing that kills you fast than failure is success...” Grow slowly into your new reality and don’t let it go to your head or to your addiction.
Remove everyone’s drama and see what you actually have. If you take away the drama of your extended family, your work family, your community and the world...what are you left with? There’s a good chance that your actual drama is far less and far more manageable. So.......take a long break from other people’s stuff and focus on the good that you have. Be thankful and deal rationally with your own stress, drama, lot in life...You’ll sleep better at night and will deal with real/actual drama (maybe not!).
March 2023
Don’t let Anger seep into your life. It’s easy to let irritation, incompetence, dishonesty of others...to make you mad and attach to your soul, life, mood and influence how you treat people. Anger is a poison and other people’s stuff is really a waste of your time, mood and mental health...Don’t give into it and avoid it at all costs. Take care of your mental health first and be careful of overload...
Change happens in an instant. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When you’re ready for the change, abundance, new situation...it comes. Don’t fear the new abundance...be mindful to live in accordance with your new reality and avoid old patterns. Do whatever you need to do to be smart and have a longer-term view of where you want to be. Live your life today, hug your loved ones, tell them you love them and treasure them...your love relationships are what this is all about.
Get the structure in place. If good things are finally coming into place...make sure you have a structure and plan to deal with it. Self-sabotage and the normal tendency to spend everything you have...will take over if you don’t have a plan, a disciplined plan, to deal with the Abundance. Decide to deal differently this time. Learn from your mistakes and make better choices that support you, your loved ones and your future/present plans. Try not to be dumb this time!!!
Relax, let it unfold in its time. It’s easy to stress out when things don’t arrive in your timeframe... Make your best move and then wait for the response. If it delays, use that time to prepare, get better, make progress. Your next step may be dependent on what you have right in front of you. See it, do it, wait and relax.
Quantum Change comes from a change in belief. When you believe it, you will see it. There are times when you’re positive that a major change you desire/hoped for finally is coming. Before it actually happens, your whole life seems to change even though it’s all the same. Take this lesson with you to believe for more, plan A, the best for your family and yourself. In the meantime, look for happiness in what’s already there. Dig deep into the resources that you already possess...there are already diamonds in that field below your feet.
It’s all a game... Stop taking yourself, your work, your troubles and your stress so seriously. Take more breaks, more naps, spend more time “wasted” on your loved ones...do unexpected things for fun and the joy of it. Lighten up and lighten others up...Sounds like a great life’s purpose.
Prioritize your purpose. Knowing that you don’t know how much time you have...get busy with what’s important for you, what you think your purpose is, what your bliss is. Make that a daily routine, make progress, document your progress...get busy...It could all end today/tomorrow/tonight!
This Life is very temporary...use that as your guide. Internalizing the fleeting nature of Life should inform how you live today. Treat others better, treat yourself better, let the insignificant/small stuff slide, look for joy and happiness, encourage others and be remembered for the person who brought lightness and laughter to the room. Be generous, you can’t take it with you. Just Listen...easy to say, hard to do, essential in all of the above. Lighten your load and organize your stuff so your peeps can deal with your loss easily.
Make a Bold Decision. There are important issues that you’ve been avoiding because they are big. Do your research, get your intuition going, counsel with a significant other and MAKE THE DECISION, TAKE ACTION. The Universe is waiting for you to take the next step and get it going. More good is on the way following your decision and action...Don’t let fear get the better of you and disregard what the neigh sayers want...follow you gut and turn your canoe downstream...let the flow take you to new heights. Be smart and move.
Simplify your Creative Process... Today it’s so easy to unnecessarily complicate your creative workflow with technology and just “stuff” that it takes away the immediacy of actually creating. Look for the simple solution and stick with it, go deep and really understand it so you can do the work as much as possible, as intensely as possible. DON’T GET SIDETRACKED!!!
People change...just not very much. It’s amazing when you realize that people you’ve known for a long time do NOT change or develop much... If you’ve known someone since they were a child...they’re probably just an older, larger version of that child. The take-away is to do some introspection and see where YOU haven’t changed in key areas and deal with yourself. Others!?! Just be smart that they haven’t changed no matter what they’re trying to tell you or demonstrate...probably false...PROTECT yourself if necessary and be smart...!!!
Peaks and Valleys. What you do at the peak or the valley will reverberate with the opposite. Take this moment of the Valley to prepare for the peak and vice versa. Take every moment as a good one and a time to prepare for the next, get better, grow, become what you hope to become. Life is short to grab it now and don’t hesitate to express love.
Do the “stressbusters” first thing. Need to reduce your stress? Call stressbusters and get those pesky details done quickly before they are due so you can move on to the fun and meaningful stuff. The expense reports, taxes, personal appointments, picking up groceries...can be stress producers and keep you from enjoying your day/week...Eat the Frog and giterdone so you can delight in the real stuff.
A lot can change in a week... Get ready for a new week by expecting good things and big changes...why not!?! Your life can change for the better in a significant way THIS WEEK. You’ll see it when you believe it. Give it a shot this week, use your meditation-affirmations and let it go. Release your attachment to results and let it be...
Whatever you pay attention to, grows. Do you want your relationships to grow? Pay attention, learn, do positive things, improve and get better at it. Do you want your passions/creative projects to grow... do the work, learn, adjust and feed the flame... Do you want your money to grow? Pay attention to it, learn it, understand it and play by the rules of it. Reaping and Sowing that’s what it’s all about, the most basic rule of the Universe.
Loads of Stress...take a break... Burning the candle at all ends? Turn your phone off for the weekend, find your significant other and begin pouring your time and attention and energy into THAT PERSON!!! The harvest will continue for years to come. LISTEN...let go of your stuff for a weekend, park it, give it a break and spend quality, attentive time with your peep(s).
When the new phase starts... When your dreams begin, dig in and make sure you’re doing the work to improve, be a better person and get to the heart of the change...CHANGE YOU, FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE...JUST DO IT.
Fan the Fire of your Dreams. Life events can be crushing and discouraging. The first thing to go is usually the hope that you’ll make your dream come true. Come to view these thoughts as an indication that something good really is just about to happen or is already in place. Look for that provision, opportunity...and believe again. What you see is what you believe...You’ll see it when you believe it.
Rely on your routine to ground you. There are so many ways to get out of whack with yourself (travel, work stress, money stress, relationship tension...) - work your program to keep yourself on track, focused, living your purpose, maximizing the day... Exercise, Meditation, Journaling...JUST DO IT!
Find the humor in adversity...it may be all you’ve got. We all have tough things in our lives to deal with... Parents/partner’s health issues, our own issues, our children...work, money concerns, concerns for the future. It can get pretty grim. Look for humor to lighten it up, look to cheer someone up, look for encouragement wherever you can find it.
Nurture your “genius” and release it for yourself, your loved ones, and the world. There is genius in all of us. Figure out what you need to do to release it. Diet, exercise, meditation, journaling, interaction with positive people, letting go of negativity and the past... It is possible to release this incredible power within you. It’s worth the journey and it will always remain an adventurous journey...enjoy it and let the world benefit from the “genius” you!
Use your away time to do something of importance. So you have a trip, tradeshow, work, relatives issue...pick something important and make the trip significant by making progress, learning something new...moving the ball forward. It will make the time away from family seem worthwhile...
Live in Abundance, let go of the fear. Believe in you, your dreams and your gifts. Take the time to dig deep into your gift, nurture it and protect it and WORK IT! It’s so easy to fall into fear and stop moving forward, stop working on your craft, passion, gift, interests. Don’t give into this for any reason!!! Meditate, use affirmations, feed the flame, dig in and work on your stuff...whatever it takes to make forward movement!
Be the “Doer” today and see how great you feel. Getting things done is so important to forward movement, achievement and happiness. Decide to get a few important things done today. Make it a weekly habit. Decide to do it, figure out what you need to do to make this happen. Document your progress and JUST DO IT!
Be Proud of who you are, your body, your age, your experience, your vision, your passions... It’s difficult to feel comfortable in your own skin when there’s so much pressure to conform... Damn this attitude...Believe in who you are today, accept what you consider a weakness, growth area for you. Associate with people and companies who value YOU and what you have to offer. Don’t compromise on YOU! You’re all you’ve got!
Let go of your attachment to outcomes, especially the big ones...let it happen. If you have a major job you’re going after, house, relationship, passion goal...do your prep, execute and then LET IT GO!!! The Universe is now in control and you just need to continue to rest in the receiving state...FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT. It’s not that you don’t care but it is about letting go and letting the Universe work out the details.
Prepare and then Trust the Force...Let Go. Preparation for any venture, job interview, presentation...is important BUT at a certain point, let it all go and Trust the Inner Guide who will bring you what you need at the perfect moment. Relax, let it happen, expect miracles, expect and believe in your best result. Good things are inevitable and forces are already in play to make things come together in miraculous ways...trust it, believe it, live it and celebrate it.
When something goes wrong or doesn’t work...look for the reason/next step/alternative/better idea! “When God closes a door he/she opens a window”...so true! So you’ve been making amazing progress, you’ve solved puzzles that long confounded you, so you keep it rolling and hit a hard brick wall – IT DIDN’T WORK as you thought... Rather than be depressed, angry, hopeless...look at it as a sign of the discovery of what actually DOES WORK!!! Allow your failures to show the way to success...Failures truly are a learning experience of something that is not the answer on your way to finding the answer...Go with it and be positive, you may be VERY close! The solution may be staring you in the face...GRAB IT!
Try the ½ hour per task strategy. Having a hard time focusing? Have a lot of projects? Try rotating the tasks in ½ hour increments including rest, fun, mindless things. See if you can fool yourself into productivity by giving yourself permission to do a variety of things for short periods. Start with the important tasks, then urgent then fun... This may work best on weekends!
Ride your Enthusiasm to new heights. When you’re excited about something...it stimulates pathways to greater creativity, new research possibilities, increased achievement... Take full advantage of the moment, go with where your muse takes you and document it so you don’t forget!
February 2023
Choose One Thing to finish first. Time management is life management. Start your journey or reset your journey by starting with one important thing you want to accomplish in a day...start it and finish it with concentrated effort, THEN go to the next. Interruptions really cripple goal/task achievement. Try just working on one thing and bringing it to term... The enthusiasm you develop will spill over to your other tasks.
When something begins to work...give it more gas! When you make progress, figure out how to make the little tweaks to improve it yet more...enlarge your vision, take that progress and turn your enthusiasm on it...push yourself to make a final product that you can publish somewhere...don’t let the momentum slide.
When good changes tarry... Sometimes the good transitions-opportunities...take longer than expected. Avoid the tendency to use this delay for procrastination, addictive behavior, doubt... Look at the moment as a gift to work harder on the things that matter in the meantime. Look at the moment as a way to prepare further...the Universe may want you to take more steps forward and this is a pause moment for you to do it. Move ahead by faith, trusting that the Universe has your best interest in mind.
Let your powerful, helpful habits kick in. It takes 30 days at least for a habit to take. Pick an important skill, creative technique...and stick with it for a month to let it take root and contribute positively to your life and work...You know what it is, now JUST DO IT! (don’t forget to document the results).
Bridge the “Knowing-Doing Gap.” Write it down and do it...plow through the procrastination and resistance to actually do the work and move forward with your creative, life purpose goals. It’s time, the Universe is waiting for you to do it in order to reveal the next exciting step...
Make your workflow, file organization actually work for you. If you take advantage of technology, you can work better and smarter and accomplish more...Figure this out so the Tech works for you and you don’t work for it...
Open yourself so you can take out the trash... Meditation, going to Alpha state, relaxing, using frequencies can be very beneficial. These techniques/tools can also open your mind to what you’ve been avoiding, afraid of...When these painful memories/issues come to the surface: feel the feeling, talk it out with someone you trust, let it go and focus on what’s right in front of you.
Let go of the fear...most situations have people of your ability or less. Realize that no one is better and things aren’t always what they seem...Have confidence in yourself and go with that...don’t believe the B.S. believe in you and your Higher Self...YOU CAN DO IT! JUST DO IT!
Your Enthusiasm is a clear indication that something is right for you. If you’re deciding between two jobs, projects, relationships, trips, courses of action...watch for your passion/enthusiasm. If your enthusiasm is rising, it’s a good indication that something is right for you...go with it, trust your gut.
Believe in the new, the emerging...like you! We are all in a state of constant growth. There is no static, remaining stuck...you’re either moving forward or in a different direction (could be sideways!), BUT you are definitely NOT standing still. Find the FLOW, direction of your life, point your canoe downstream – in line with that FLOW and GO FOR IT! It’s finally happening! Enjoy the ride for a change.
Get in the “Receiving State”. Accept the Good that’s coming, believe, prepare, be positive and be grateful... What you want, wants you. This abundant moment is finally here. You’re ready for it, you’ve prepared, now go and get it and enjoy it!
Call your own Bluff today... You’ve been promising yourself progress on several issues for days-months-years. Spend a concentrated day-half/day-3 hours-1 hour actually doing it. Publish something, organize something, play, create...DO SOMETHING you know you’ve wanted and needed to do...JUST DO IT – TODAY!
The “NOW” tasks are really interesting a require focus. We spend much too much time avoiding the important tasks of the NOW. Get clear, start small and go forward...as you make progress you’ll receive more light, more ability, more...purposeful work. Be grateful for the moment that brings this to you.
Focus on the NOW! The PAST really doesn’t exist, relationships are usually for a season. We outgrow situations, relationships, institutions, experiences and we’re growing and evolving daily...this is good! What can be a major challenge is when the past comes in and seeks to pull you back to a nostalgia that is unhelpful. Focus on where you are and where you’re going and what excites you...the rest needs to go!
Get your spiritual practice going... Figure out how to get into your spiritual practice quickly in the same way you have with your creative workflow: A GOOD TEMPLATE! You can always adjust and improve but start with a template and go from there. Many good templates are available online, in books, in audio recordings...GET STARTED!
The Wisdom of Silence... The art of listening, the art of silence, the art of stillness...definitely lost Arts! Try it for a day, conversation, person in your life, moment in your life. Document what you find, feel and see happen.
Do some house cleaning. Delete old work files, disconnect with people who you don’t want to associate with...take out the trash. Enjoy some mental clarity and space by removing stuff that doesn’t matter anymore...You know where it is and what it is. Start slow and just delete stuff...You’ll feel better for it!
Let Go of Other People’s Stuff... We all have loved ones who “stir up the pot” and creative or increase drama, negativity, anger...If it’s not yours...don’t take it on. You can say no, deflate the rising irritation and walk away, ignore, not participate. You have the power on this one...USE IT and Keep yourself free of Other People’s Stuff!!!
Clarify and Do IT! There are things/projects you’ve been putting off. Decide what they are, put together a plan and get started. You already know what those things are so it’s just a matter of starting and following it through. Starting is the hardest part.
Stop trying to return the Gift! The gifts of your life can often be wrapped in something that is a reversal of some kind or a prolonged wait for the next step...Stop trying to return this gift and get busy figuring out how you can use this extra time to work on your life, projects, relationships, upgrade your skills, read/study something that interests you... TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MOMENT AND STOP WISHING IT AWAY!!!
Live in Hope today. There are so many unknowns, possibilities and challenges. Choose Hope today. Hope for growth, progress, new adventures, coping with known issues, improvements in current situations and openness to a whole new experience that is unfolding.
Nostalgia can mess with you... Appreciation for your history is good, nostalgia that makes you question your choices (that you can’t change) is a whole other thing. As Don Henley wrote “you can’t go back, you can never go back...” Confronting your past can be challenging and sometimes necessary. Realize that you’re in a new place with forward thinking things to do and new people to enjoy them with. Focus on that. Appreciate the past, because it made you who you are but don’t entertain backwards movement...it won’t work and will only serve to confuse you...let it go!
Create a powerful memory today... Life is made rich with memorable experiences, people, love, hopes... Decide to create a memory today for yourself, with/for your partner, loved ones, total stranger. This could be the day you remember forever and draw strength from it...Worth a shot!
Just do ONE thing... Focus on one thing that is important and follow it through. Let it take the time it takes...JUST DO IT! It’s much too easy to be distracted, procrastinate and NOT do the work.
Take a moment to dedicate yourself entirely to your creative process... It’s ok to take some time off to work on your creative process...DO IT!!! It will lead you to a deeper experience and you’ll realize that you need to make it a priority and get into the groove quickly...
The Universe is waiting for you to take your own advice seriously and do the Work. You’re at the beginning of a new phase...the Universe is waiting for you to do the work you know you need to do and get in the right place for the next wave of abundance, opportunity, growth, challenge and fun...DO THE WORK! Put yourself in alignment with your Higher Self and the Universe and watch the magic, excitement, abundance, Best Life come together effortlessly...
Do something “cool!” Wondering what to do next? Use the criteria: “Is it cool” and does it engage your passion, interest, enthusiasm... If it does, it’s worth your time! Life is short, make sure you’re doing the most with your time, it’s the most with your Life!
The Winds of Change are here, get ready, be fearless, JUST DO IT! Your affirmations have brought you an important opportunity...don’t let fear influence you. Be yourself, if it’s right it will work, if not, something better will come up. Get excited, make it happen, enjoy this important opportunity and grow with it, the Universe has responded! Don’t worry be Happy!
January 2023
Live a Life of Love this week. Decide to support, encourage, tolerate, love each person you meet. Start with yourself, then your close loved ones, those you meet and complete strangers. See what happens when you commit yourself to a Life of Love...Document it, see what works, what happens, what you learn how you improve, how you struggle...This is the primary purpose of Life...get started!
Live Your Dreams Fearlessly today...what are you waiting for?!? You know what to do...what’s holding you back? After the sudden death of my mother I realized...there’s nothing really to fear or keep you back so get busy...you don’t know how sudden/unexpected your own death could be. Mortality is an important motivator...Whatever it takes, start living your dream today, do the research, make the product, live your life purpose, dig deep to discover it and pursue it with passion...JUST DO IT!
Believe in your Dream...Make your partner’s dream come true... Take a moment and understand what you really want...look at what your partner wants...find a way to make them happen for them and yourself, dream big, believe in miracles, believe in the Universe’ ability to bring you what you want and need. Do the prep work that you know you need to do. The Universe is waiting for you to take these steps and will multiply your efforts, steps forward and bring you where you need to be. JUST DO IT! (You already know what to do and what the next step is!!)
Learn to Love Your Life Today... Do you have someone who cares for you? Do you have someone who appreciates you? Do you have a job? Can you pay your bills? Do you have interests that make you enthusiastic? If you have one of these...Love Your LIfe today... Look for the good, celebrate the good, say thanks to the people who are caring for you and listening to you...Develop this attitude of gratitude and be happy you’re alive today!
View your Creative process and projects as Research and your life purpose, contribution. Take your creative work seriously! What you’re doing is to help humanity and lighten the load of people. Think differently about your work as research or whatever makes it seem more important to you and worth the effort, sacrifice and persistence...What you’re doing and what you’re interested in is important and worth it!
Enthusiasm is what makes the difference. When you have an exciting proposition, job offer, project, purchase, relationship, good news...it lights a fire of enthusiasm that has such wonderful positive power. If you look at it closely you realize that it’s really just in your head and may or may not be “real, actual, happening”... In that moment it gave you the boost that helped you accomplish more, feel better and move forward. Learn to harness this wonderful aid and use it today to accomplish something important to you.
Organize your workspace... An organized workspace helps the creative process. Put your place in order and your files and watch how your goals will begin coming together.
Time to get off the fence and do it. Those of us who journal can become writers and not doers. Make the effort today to start doing the things you’ve been journaling and “fixin’ to do” for a long time. Make the goals doable and just get started...most important things first. THEN journal about the progress and how you feel and what’s next!
Break it down to a small manageable piece and start there...see where it takes you. Overwhelm is common today with all of the options, ability to work with tools, tasks to do...It’s easy to do nothing because it’s simply too much to start. Start something today and see it to the end...put a time limit so you don’t go all “perfectionist” on yourself and your work.
Letting Go of hurt, wrongs, injustices is to help YOU cope, not about them...that perhaps comes later. Sleep issues, anxiety, stress and just plain “getting pissed” is the result of situations, people, experiences, hurts...that you just need to let go of. How you do that it your business but the NEED to do it is really obvious. Take the time to figure out what works for you and get busy...your life deserves this makeover.
Celebrate the “job well done” and high five the team that made it happen. Your accomplishments often go un-celebrated...to your detriment. Go ahead and celebrate and enjoy the results from an important effort. Celebrate others as well and enjoy their unexpected reactions! Spreading a little joy is very therapeutic and must become a normal habit, part of your routine and who you are.
Relax, regoup, let it flow through you... After an intense experience...let yourself breathe, relax, reflect, journal, talk, walk, get back in your routine...be kind to yourself and attentive to your loved ones. Self-care is not always allowed, grief is also on a time line... Take time for yourself and your peeps.
The Best Day is Today, you’re above ground... Sometimes the place to start is the most basic...you’re alive and you’re fortunate to have your challenges and a day to walk through. See it as a gift and just keep moving forward.
Upgrade your routine with Meditation, stress relief, exercise, walking, breathing, short breaks, prioritize good sleep... In this stressful moment we need to relax more, breathe more, walk more, be quiet and listen more and sleep better. Make it part of 2023 and document the positive change, challenge and growth.
Take responsibility for your life. We really are in a cage that has all the doors open. Admitting this and doing something about it is the trick...we like to blame this trapped-ness on someone else or our circumstances when in fact it’s us. I am trying to take my own advice and make the changes I need to make as well and model it.
Be present for your loved ones today. Make it a point to unplug, listen, ask questions, pay attention, look for ways to connect...love your loved ones today. Figure out how to do this so you can repeat it every week and to a limited extent every day.
Learn to Let Go of Control... The illusion of control is one of the biggest traps we need to deal with in Life. Your response is the only thing you can control. Become an expert in response. How? Look honestly at how your responses have worked so far...have they brought you the results you want? If not, start with one of them and change your response, document, adjust and judge the results honestly. If your responses on certain issues have worked...continue, grow, get better and use the principles you’ve learned and modeled on other parts of your life.
Figure out how to maintain yourself and maintain your loved ones. The balance of self-care and loved ones-care and work-care is a constant balancing act. It’s easy to ignore the need for balance until it all comes crashing down around you and then it’s an emergency. Begin with talking, prioritizing, being silent to listen to your inner wisdom and then being flexible…whatever you do will need to be modified often.
Ponder your legacy and make corrections. What is your life all about, what do you actually do, what internal dialog do you engage in? What do you WANT your life to be all about, what you want to do and what you want milling around in your head? Go after that and document your progress. You don’t know how much time you have so GO FOR IT and JUST DO IT.
Put together a doable/important todolist and knock it out! Focus, clarity and getting important things done is a big part of feeling happy, productive, and forward moving. DO IT TODAY!!! Journal your progress, how you feel and where it takes you...enjoy the ride and be gentle with yourself and others today.
Food as Medicine... It seems clear that food choices, eating timing, exercise can make a dramatic difference in health...The next level is to become educated and be more intentional about it. What a wonderful project...it will improve creativity, longevity, mood and performance on many levels...give it a shot!
Distractions keep us from focusing on what’s important to us. Our digital age provides us with 24/7 possibilities of distraction, binging, spending, addiction... It’s almost too tempting to resist. You MUST carve out time for what’s important and let go of mindless distractions. Decide to spend your time on what matters and let go of distractions/procrastination/addiction...
Today do something you’ve been putting off. We all put off things that are important to us for no real reason. Today start doing the things that you’ve avoided: publish a song, take a walk, learn sampling, read a book, meditate for 10 minutes....You know what it is that you’ve been putting off. JUST DO IT TODAY...MAKE A CHANGE.
Make Love a priority. Listen, support, give approval, give affection, encourage, speak well of people. Be a lover, become known as a lover/encourager/supporter/listener...change/Repent today...This is your year.
De-stress your life, learn to say no. Whenever you can remove busyness from your life...DO IT! Stop doing things from a sense of obligation. Friends and family can be the biggest source of busyness, work that is poorly managed can be a big source of busyness and stress. Learn to manage your time, know your priorities and stick with those...let everything else go.
Make Learning a priority this year. Pick something you’ve always wanted to learn and you believe will bring you joy. Start learning it today, make it a priority, be patient with yourself and celebrate/document your progress.
Let unimportant things just flow through you... Prioritizing what’s important is obvious but also what’s NOT IMPORTANT. Let go of the unimportant things...it frees up your mental energy
Revel in the joy of learning...start with your passion. Make learning fun and you’ll be able to do anything you want to do, learn anything you want to learn... Start with your passion and then move to skills that will make your work easier and more fun...The sky’s the limit
Pick the first thing that comes to mind and do that today... If you’re fortunate to have some time off and want to know how to use it...take the first thing that comes to mind and get started. Make sure it’s something that moves you. Don’t spend too much time thinking about it...JUST DO IT!
Less is more...keep it simple...focus less on the money...more on the time together. Christmas this year was an experiment in less...it turned out to be great and more. Experiments like this help reestablish what’s important for you and yours...give it a try.
Get your creative routine ready to produce work daily. The work is the important part...don’t lose sight of it. Do the work daily and use it as a way to learn, test, experiment...The product is what you want to produce in order to get out of your head and into your creativity.
December 2022
Do your work for the sheer joy of doing it. There’s no need to be practical, have a profit motive, want to be famous...JUST DO THE WORK! You passion is worth doing just to enrich your life. What it does for others is really not your business...just follow your passion, it will all work out as it should.
Believe the best about people and see them live up to it! There’s no real payoff to thinking/speaking badly about people...change your perspective and see them change how they relate to you!
It’s all going to work out fine... When you stress, tell yourself this phrase and believe it. There are so many unknowns that you simply can’t know how things will turn out BUT they will turn out fine and you’ll be fine...believe it...make it so.
Loss opens up space for the sun to nourish who remains. Sometimes the loss of a “larger than life” person allows for those in the shadows to receive the sun, step up, grow, thrive and do what no one thought them able to do. Treasure the memory of the person who departs and get busy with building your own legacy. Don’t stifle those around you, give them room and approval to grow as they need to.
Know what you’re about and just live it. Figure out what your legacy is and live it. Sometimes it takes a funeral/eulogy/loss to realize it. Your time is limited – get busy doing what you’re here to do... The time previous to NOW is/was all preparation. Your time to make it all happen and put it together is now. Just Do it!
Focus on your immediate Peeps today. Take a day to recoup with your family, significant others...today. Shut out the other people, issues, worries, fears, tasks...be grateful for the good you have and appreciate your loved ones...they are all that matter.
Let your intuition and synchronicity guide you. What do you need to do today? Relax and see what your intuition-higher self-Christ within-common sense...tells you and get started. As you work on things synchronicity will bring people, circumstances, thoughts, videos, leads...to guide you. Let it happen and see where it takes you. Don’t forget to document it.
Focus today on doing something that brings you joy. If you’re a goal oriented person you often will work on those goals before allowing yourself to enjoy your passions (that brought you to your work to begin with!). Do something that will bring you a smile today...
Grief takes time... If you’re going through a time of loss and grief realize that it’s not a quick easy fix...it takes time and it will cycle back as you go through the various steps. Be patient with yourself and be kind/patient with others who are going through it as well. The tough part is that everyone has grief/loss in their life...we really need to be kind to each other.
Empty the Bag... Letting go of resentment, anger, unresolved conflicts is not easy but it’s an important project... Letting things flow through you and release is one of the biggest issues you need to figure out in your life. You’ll be given many opportunities to deal with it!
Your Energy is Gold... As we age we realize that it requires more energy to do things. Make sure that precious energy that you have is dedicated to what matters. Prioritize your day so the most important people and things receive the benefit of your best energy. Beware of who/what drains your energy and avoid those people, tasks and unnecessary energy loses...save energy for the important stuff.
Time is Gold... We all have the same 24 hours a day. How we spend this precious commodity is the difference. Make sure you’re spending your time on what counts, you don’t get redos or more time so spend it wisely.
Guard your bag. People like to give things for busy, responsible people to do...they know they’ll get done. Make sure that you only take on things/tasks/projects/goals that are yours and that you want to do...Give back the “gifts” that are not yours. Your mental health and effectiveness will benefit.
Keep your eye on the ball... Make your agenda priority and judge all the rest through that lenses. It’s very easy to be run by everyone else’ agenda/goals/priorities... Make sure it’s as you want it.
Watch out for the Wolves in Sheep’s clothing. Be on the lookout for people who want to make YOU responsible for THEIR stuff. They could be friends, family, coworkers and/or customers. Be careful to know what you can do and what you can’t...what you want to be responsible for and what you don’t.
Hit the “Easy Button” when you can and regroup. The stresses of work, health and family pressures can affect your health, sleep and happiness... Look for ways to simplify and take down the stress a few notches. Not everything needs to be done at a high level and not everything needs to be done in real time. Prioritize, take a step back and “hit the Easy Button” often!
Get Back on the Wagon... The holidays and moments of major crisis can be opportunities to fall off your program and begin to return to the place you were before. Realize the ease of losing it and begin to get back on the bike...You do not want to return to where you were!
Keep your eye on the ball. In emotionally charged situations it’s often easy to get distracted with the greasy/loud wheel and lose track of the priority. Filter everything through the lens of the priority, lose the distractions, eliminate unnecessary complications and other people’s agendas. None of this is easy...stick to your guns.
Clarity and persistence are fundamental to addressing key issues. You will periodically be tested with difficult challenges...this is life! Confront your issues head on, be clear about what you want and need to do and then execute with persistence. It’s often not easy to deal with these challenges but procrastination and avoidance are not successful strategies. JUST DO IT and hang on!
Embrace your mortality and live differently in light of it. You never expect your life to end...you always have more time. The reality is that we don’t know the day or hour and it could be sooner than you think. Rather than being scarey it should be motivating to “Carpe Diem” and make sure you take care of the people you care about, especially those who cannot support themselves.
People reveal their true nature...sooner or later...money issues often accelerate the revelation. We all really do want people to know who we are and what we’re all about. During times of stress this is usually more evident. Take note and react accordingly.
Let it all flow through you... Crazy stuff happens, drama happens, bad and good happens...let it flow through you and not stick. Fear and Anger are often found together...don’t find them in you bed at 3 a.m. ruining your sleep and your life. Don’t let them take over your mood, family, work, Life...Take control and let them go.
Focus on appreciating YOUR real Tribe! Understand who your real family is and support/nurture/love them...don’t take them for granted and don’t let the drama of extended family, other friends...take that away from them...You need them, and they need you!
Deal Straight and take it out of the shadows. Communication is tough, understanding is tougher and sideways communications are impossible. Let the light shine on what you’re doing and let the chips fall where they may. You’ll sleep better....
What you Believe you receive. Your reality is a reflection-creation of what you believe. Look around and you’ll see everyone doing the same thing...creating a world around their beliefs.
Some days you need to just survive. Challenging day ahead?!? Just walk through it one step at a time and don’t look at it all in one big picture. Overwhelm is real...slip yourself some slack, it will all work out.
Knock it out! Do you have issues that keep you up at night and create fear, stress...Prioritize them today and get them done first...See how it makes you feel and keep going! Get ahead of the curve today, it will setup the rest of the week for success.
Focus on the Creative passion that makes it all worthwhile. Figure out what is really important and make sure you do that today... Playing, if you’re a musician, painting, if you’re a visual artist, writing if you’re an author...JUST DO IT...TODAY!
Be Thankful for what you have in front of you. We’re prone to look elsewhere for joy, happiness, fulfillment. MAYBE, it’s sitting right in front of you...stop trying to give back the gift! Enjoy your moment and relish the peace and goodness...drama will come on its own, no need to rush, worry or stress.
Focus on your own tribe first... It’s easy and common to get involved in drama. Sometimes we don’t have enough drama so we go looking for it. Prioritize your attention, finances, reserve of energy for those who really matter and for whom you can make a difference. There are plenty of causes, choose them well.
You create your world with your beliefs... Everything comes from our beliefs. If you don’t like what you’re experiencing...look at your beliefs and work on those. You’re trapped in a world of your own creation...the doors are all open. Choose your world by choosing your beliefs.
November 2022
Sleep is really important...don’t let the stresses of the day be resolved in your thinking during the night. Sleeping is not an easy deal for many adults. The biggest mistake I’ve experienced is trying to resolve issues in the middle of the night...let it wait until morning and do all you can to disengage your mind and get back to sleep.
Learn something new! Spend a day learning something that has always fascinated you. Give yourself the gift. Use your curiosity as your way forward and the guidance you need... follow your bliss!
Keep the passion for creating...stoke the fire and keep your eye on the ball. Your passion for creativity is a precious gift. Find a way to easily and quickly connect to it. Find a way to do it during your day... Refresh yourself and renew your gift daily...find a way, it’s important!
Enjoy the benefit of your routine, even during the holidays. It’s easy and expected to over indulge during the holidays. Nothing wrong with that! BUT, it could be worth a try this year to keep with the program and enjoy your peace of mind and best life rather than giving into to excess, over eating, over spending, over – overing. Give it a try this year and see how it feels. Your New Year’s resolutions will be easier to manage and stay with you longer.
Focus on one skill that will make a big impact on your progress of what matters to you. Take some time to identify that one skill/habit/practice that really matters to your goals. Making progress on this one thing will change your attitude and enthusiasm to make progress. Figure it out and focus on it for a month...see where it takes you.
Keep Your Cool! It’s easy to get revved up because Drama Seekers-Crazy Makers-S**t Stirrers are feeding you gossip, suggestions... See it for what it is and let the drama slide past you. When you hear the same stories, realize that it’s a “Drama Template” and most likely not in your best interest. Don’t participate! Pull the energy from it. There are plenty of “real things” in your own life to focus on...do that instead and leave the drama to the drama seekers.
Listen to your body... If you feel the need for rest...rest! You’re no use to anyone if you’re completely depleted and start getting sick. Learn from your higher intelligence – your body – it knows what it’s doing and can help you keep well and happy.
Shed the extra baggage, weight, other people’s stuff. Social norms try to keep you in the web of other people’s stuff. It’s a control thing, it’s a negative thing if you can’t extract yourself from what’s not yours.
Be open to really good opportunities coming to you. It is possible for the right job to come along and bring you the experience you’re looking for. If you see it coming, relax and enjoy the experience. Things will work out in their timing and you need to relax and watch it unfold...can’t push it.
Deal with overwhelm by just walking through your day, one task at a time. When we contemplate our life and all of the challenges it’s very easy to become overwhelmed an potentially paralyzed by it. Step back and gain some perspective, just start doing the work. Step by step, day by day your life will unfold. Let it unfold and don’t force it. Be open to surprise and wonderful twists and turns. Light a fire, watch leaves burn and relax a bit internally.
Don’t take on other people’s stuff! You have enough on your plate with your own life, don’t take on the drama of other people even if they are close to you...keep it at a distance. Work on your real life and your real drama not someone else’ drama.
Let it unfold... When you see a transition coming, relax, take a breath and wait for it to unfold. Stressing, pushing, overplanning just makes it more tramatic than necessary. Trust that the Universe has your best interest in mind and that it will work out for the best, even if It's a NO.
Lemons to Lemonade... Always seek to turn negatives into lessons learned and a course correction. There’s always something to learn even if it stings the ego a bit... Take it for what it’s worth and benefit from the lessons of your life/work/family/relationships...
Prioritize to remove/confront stress. Your stress buster tasks will be vital in maintaining your sanity during busy times. Figure out what will give you the biggest “bang for your time buck” and “eat that frog first”... Everything else will loose up after that.
Opening doors of opportunity requires work. You’ve attracted the opportunities that are amazing...now get busy with your discipline to work it out. Expect the work to be transformative as well. Watch for things returning, experiences bringing opportunities based on experiences...one thing leads to another...watch it happen and grow through attention.
Take time to chill and process your experiences. Intense moments require silence, perspective, interpreting and processing. Do the work, journal it and absorb it. Reflecting on your life makes it special and the learning experience that it is.
Stuff Happens, you just have to roll... When you can’t do anything about a problem, focus immediately on something you can actually solve that’s important and get to work on that. The issue that came up...accept it if you must and move on...”who shot John” is a waste of time and emotion.
It’s all about your beliefs. There’s really no reality except for your beliefs...Everything is belief based. If you see it Red or Blue, that’s how it is for you, if it’s Allah/Jesus/Yahweh, that’s what it is...Choose better beliefs and you’ll experience a better life...
It is all going to work out fine...trust! Living by faith means you’ve internalized that it’s all going to play out as it should. Experiences lead to Experiences/Opportunities and more complex experiences and growth. It all makes sense in hindsight. Trust the process, trust the Universe, trust your partner, trust yourself...it’s all going to be ok! Strap up and get ready for the ride.
Expect a miracle, expect effortless success and opportunity today, it’s all here. Some weeks are especially important and full of promise. Make it happen, let it happen and enjoy the ride. The Universe has your best in mind, just be in the position to receive it and go with the flow.
Treasure every day and look for the unexpected blessings of good people, love and time together. The stresses of life will always be there, just walk through the day and make progress. Don’t let the stress rob your joy, sleep, time with loved ones, mental peace...
Leave the Land of Wishes and Enter the Land of Doing... Many of us live wishing for better things, better money, better relationships, better jobs...and never do anything to make it happen. Decide to work towards your highest wish today...actually do something that contributes to making it happen... it could be a very small step but take it.
Face your life...don’t be afraid to confront the ”reality...” Fear often keeps us from looking at where we’re at in our life, creative work, work, weight, addictions, finances, relationships, past/present regrets... Avoidance only prolongs situations you don’t want...Face them, look at it and figure out what you need to do next. Journaling is very helpful. Dig into your own inner wisdom/higher self/kingdom within/Spirit/Jesus...whatever you call it/him/her.
Big things are coming this week...GET READY! There are moments that will be important for your future and sometimes you see it coming. Get ready, get your body, mind, spirit, work...ready for receiving the good things that are coming.
Work on creating a product/project/artwork...something concrete today. Prep work can be very consuming and sometimes seems to be an end to itself and a form of procrastination. Break through and create something with your functioning studio...at whatever level/state/functioning it is currently. JUST DO IT! Need to decide what to do...do what you think is cool and what you’ll want to look at, experience, review going forward. If you like it, others will too and that may not matter!
Write your own ”makeover” book. You’ve figured some things out and put some things together. You’ve discovered that a real life change involves: Body, Mind, Spirit, Emotions... Write it down! Tweak your makeover, deepen the groove, figure out more! There’s much more to discover. Your biggest experiment will always be in the laboratory of YOU! JUST DO IT!
On a roll?! Keep stoking the fire! Hit while the iron is hot, piove sul bagnato! So you’ve figured some things out and it’s coming together for you...keep up the pressure and see how far you can go! Remember to document, create real product (not just tinkering), and make real and important progress. Moments like these don’t happen all of the time but they do help you set a new base line for your life and a quantum leap, flash point that will become your new normal. Thankfully you’ll find old projects and goals finally making sense and you’ll be ready to do them.
Go back to basics. Try learning something important to you from the ground up and really learn it. You’ll feel an incredible rush of confidence that you can learn ANYTHING YOU WANT. It requires patience, reading the manual, watching tutorials...but it’s worth the effort if only for how it makes you feel. Do this with the tasks you don’t like at work...make them a source of confidence and progress.
Take one new idea to completion. We often receive interesting ideas as glimpses of ”cool” and then disregard them or think we’ll come back to them. Usually this is code for not following through and/or forgetting the idea entirely. Break that cycle and find a way to complete the idea, get it started, record it somehow so you don’t forget it and keep the inspiration...it may be important. At the very least it will move you forward towards you goal.
Show some grace/mercy - everyone is doing their best. Before you go off on someone because they’re not doing it ”your way,” stop and consider that they are doing their best with what they know and can do. We all live with a lot of stress and no one gets away from the challenges of life. We all have our own perspective and way of processing the world...it’s easy to get angry, the superior person understands and makes allowances. It’s very possible that YOU are wrong and not doing it the ”correct way”...
October 2022
Perfection & Procrastination – get out of both and publish something today! Don’t let your perfection mentality or your procrastination habit keep you from making progress and seeing growth in your creative journey. Get it out there! The beauty of today’s publishing is that you can always publish a better version if you improve later... the important thing is to ”JUST DO IT’ today!
Checking off your todo list can be very empowering and will move you forward to more achievements. Getting things done confirms that you can actually do the work. It also helps free up time for the important things that really matter to you. Prioritize your day and watch the magic happen, don’t forget to celebrate!
Make course corrections as needed. Our bodies, minds, situations, family, work...are all in flux. To succeed in making progress we must be flexible and make the needed changes to keep on course. Keeping close tabs on progress assures us that we’ll never be more than a few days from getting back on course if things change or we get off the wagon. Metrics/KPIs help us monitor our progress. Keep making the course corrections, monitor your progress and don’t forget to celebrate and you move forward!
Try mixing up focus: work for an hour, creative for an hour, personal growth for an hour physical exercise...see if mixing it up makes it work better for you. It’s not always a good idea but occasionally a mix up day can be invigorating and positive
Ignore negative influences. There will undoubtably be people who don’t believe in you and what you’re trying to do...ignore them. Guard your projects, plans, thoughts, program, goals...from people who don’t support you. Share only with those who share your perspective. The only way to sustain a vision is to treat it as a precious treasure that you only share with people who understand it. Don’t ”throw your pearls before swine” because they’ll devour or mess with your treasure...they’re not worth it.
Everyday provides you with a blank canvas...paint your life as you’d like it. You do have the power to make your life as you’d like it to be. Believe in your ability to choose. Leave out the activities that are killing you, Let go of the people who are bringing you down, invest in the people, activities, work, life that you want and get rid of the rest.
Take a month to tune up your mind. Take a course on developing your mind through meditation, programming, prayer...whatever practice makes sense to you. Developing good mind habits takes a month of practice and consistent routine. Your mind will creat positive habits that will help you deal with stress, focus, get things done and be happy...it’s worth the investment.
Return to your first love. There’s a circular nature of life experience. ”What goes around, comes around”, ”Karma is a Bitch”, ”Your lessons return until you learn them”, “You often do the very things that were done to you by others, you play their part...how does that feel?” These are all true BUT there’s another dimension of the concept...You positive inspirations return to you when you’re ready...this time, take your inspiration seriously, your synchronicities, your awareness, your ability to follow through...this time MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Research good food and program how/when you’ll consume it. The online resources are so available, there’s no excuse for ignorance. Find a good source of information, learn what foods make you health and feel good.
Do something today that energizes you and allow yourself to be inspired. There are activities that you love and that have a great effect on your mood, productivity, happiness... Pick one of those activities and do it today. Prioritize your happiness and watch the positive effect it has on you.
Maintain your boundaries and your own project. In your journey of dealing with life, work, difficult people...always maintain your sense of self and boundaries. Don’t make ”being agreeable” an excuse for losing yourself and what you hold dear. Develop a strong and healthy sense of yourself and what you think you’re on the earth to accomplish...never lose sight of ”YOU!”
Learn from the difficult people in your life. We all have people that challenge us: at work, a loved one, family member... Rather than struggle, fight, complain, gossip...LEARN from them. (N.B. this is not about abusive people you need to run from...!) Look for the lesson they are bringing to you, improve yourself and improve your REACTION to them and the challenge they bring to you. Learn flexibility, admitting that you’re wrong, find the lesson and learn it. If you don’t learn the lesson, it will return to you time and time again until you do!
Promote your brand, publish your product, market your services...no one else may do it. Take responsibility for moving you/your brand forward. Realize that others may not care until they see you out there and then want to jump on board after the fact.
Life really is “working on yourself” with the goal of being a loving person that touches others. If you miss that...you miss everything. If you look back on your life people of varying levels of maturity have been crossing your path to help you improve. Sometimes they are difficult people who move you in the right direction by force, other times, people who love you but don’t get through or those rare people who love you and see the best in you (eventhough it may be very hidden).
Do an important task/priority first, shut off the electronics and don’t give a d…n of anyone or anything. Try really giving yourself to a task that you love or think it REALLY important to you. If you don’t know what that is...you have some serious thinking, meditating and journaling to do. Give it a try and discover the joy, energy and fulfillment of doing something you love and that loves you.
Write your life, get it out of your head and on paper so you can deal with it. You have an ideal of a perfect day, a perfect activity, perfect accomplishment, perfect enjoyment...write it down so you can make it happen. When you find something that gives you joy and a feeling of accomplishment...make note of it so you can do it again and make it part of your daily life/routine...Enjoy your life, you’re creating it every day...can create and uncreate it...Depends on you.
Causes – Results. So often we pick the easiest symptom and work on that. The better approach is to look upstream and figure out what caused the symptom & work on improving/eliminating it. Focus on real causes and your long term challenges (addictions, integrity, honesty, self-control, spending, hoarding, procrastinating, negativity, complaining, gossiping, controlling, manipulating...). We all knowI’ what our issues are because we’ve lived with them for a long time! Make a commitment to work on yourself, be that loving person that people want to have around...sounds pretty simple though it
Focus on self-control. Ask yourself what your ”Higher Self” would do today to live your Best Life. Take the suggestions that come to you and JUST DO IT! You already know what to do, it’s just a matter of doing it...that’s the challenge.
Life presents us daily with opportunities to work on ourselves. One of the purposes of Life is to improve, work on yourself, get better, be a better person for others and for yourself. Everything, everyone we encounter today gives us a chance to be patient, see the bigger perspective, LISTEN, shut up, be kind, be patient, be encouraging. Make people feel better about themselves because they’ve had contact with YOU today. Your goals, plans, aspirations, dreams, will come from giving to others first.
You know what to do, get busy doing it. We don’t need someone to tell us what to do to reach our potential, we already know it. The issue is our willingness to believe in ourselves and follow our wisdom. We also have what we need to move forward. Use what you have, get serious learning what you need to learn to use your tools to get where you want to go.
Get inspired and follow it through. Let your enthusiasm for a project push you to make progress. Develop a vision and see it through. You may not see where it’s going but trust that it is leading to something that will be important to you at the perfect moment.
Develop 15-minute routines to connect with your body, your soul, your creativity, your significant other(s). Our biggest obstacle is time. The only way to deal with this limitation is to do something that doesn’t take long but has important, positive results. Exercise for 15 minutes is good, meditation for 15 minutes is good, a walk for 15 minutes, 15 minutes in a dark room of silence, 15 minutes in a parked car with everything turned off...you get the picture. Try it and see how your day is improved, immediately!
Follow Your Muse. When ideas, inspirations, flashes of insight, new directions, exciting concepts...hit you, GO FOR IT! JUST DO IT! FOLLOW IT! Don’t let it go without moving it forward and starting whatever it’s bringing you. Get enough down to remember what it is so you don’t lose it. Develop a routine/method to catalog it for future reference. We so often don’t follow our inspiration and then it disappears, never to return... Make a net to capture these things and develop them.
Figure out your primary skill and master it. Time to start over no matter how old or skilled you are. Pick your most important skill and master it. Go back to basics and do the actual work that makes a difference for whatever is important for you.
Develop creative templates to speed up your process. Templates, routines, sequential lists...all help us to keep on track, get things done and will speed up the creative process. Take the time to really work with one at a time, step by step and make it work for you. Keep it as simple as possible. We all are prone to quickly complicate a process that is meant to simplify your life! Keep it simple...S.
Trust the Force – Let go and let it happen, be yourself. Sometimes the big interviews, big presentations, big meetings...can overload you and get you off your game. Just let it go and let it happen as it needs to happen...don’t force it, don’t over sell, don’t stress, just relax and let your inner self come out. They’ll either want you or your proposition or they won’t!
Working your Todo list is very therapeutic to returning to your Best Life.Your daily routine helps keeps you grounded and gives you a restart place when you fall off your program. Rich routine ”vitamins, protein, and nourishment...” will help you restore your soul and program. Take your flexibility to the next level and use your program to keep you moving forward
If you’re an addict of any sort...expect that your issues will come up and you need to deal with them appropriately. It’s really easy to think that you’ve made progress in your life and your old demons won’t come back...be vigilant, have your routine strategy ready and put it into action in the early stages of your slide into addictive behaviors. Know your triggers and deal with yourself. Sometimes success, good things and hope are triggers that make you want to ”celebrate” by bingeing in some way. Realize these issues and be ready for them.
Every day is a new start. Decide what you want to learn, experience, how you want to improve, how you want to love more and better...Then JUST DO IT. You’re never too old to learn, grow, do something different. Find something you want to be good at, that will affect your life/work/passion in a positive way and do it.
Find small ways to connect with the important people in your life. It doesn’t take a huge thing to connect you with another person. Maybe it’s a shared interest, a shared T.V. show, a shared passion for walking, a shared view of life, religion, spirituality...Find SOMETHING! Grow your relationship through mutual interests, trust, admiration, respect, consideration, kindness, patience, listening, tolerance...it’s worth the work.
Celebrate the positive, enjoy the lightness, encourage humor. After a tough week of challenges, moods, struggles...find some humor, revel in silliness, stop taking yourself and your life so seriously...at least for a moment. It’s easy to get caught up in the darkness of our world, the drama at work, the drama of your partner/kids/family, your own stress... STOP for a moment and practice ”light-heartedness” and see where that takes you. Watch something you know will make you laugh...take a "seriousness-break.”
September 2022
Start Deleting things from your life. Focus on what counts and let the rest go. This applies to people, things, addictions, negative and even positive stuff...You only have so much time, energy, life, focus, interests...Figure out what matters and do that.
Upgrade your routine and work on yourself...take your own advice. We know what we should do to be better. We give advice to others on how to be better and make improvements in their lives. TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE AND GET BUSY. Let go of the excuses and JUST DO IT. Writing it down may really help loosen the icebergs of resistance and take you there. Just get started...the next step will be clear when you’re ready. Life/the Universe/God/Your Higher Self may be just waiting on you...Put the ball in their court.
Conflict can be the only way to unblock a situation...embrace it. Most of us avoid conflict but sometimes it’s the only way through a difficult challenge. Let it happen, listen, seek to understand, let the solutions come out naturally. Be ready to try something new, develop a new side of yourself. Maybe there’s a major transition that is being birthed...roll with it. Try to be especially attentive to your partner’s needs and their view of the options and resolutions.
Keep up your routine, your todo list and making moves forward on your life goals to weather tough times. When you have things you can’t control, move towards what you can control and work your program. Once the storm passes you can deal with it and you’ll have the confidence that you’ve continued your program and have not given in to addictive alternatives.
A cry for help may be disguised as a small irritation. Conflict over something small?? It’s usually a sign of something much bigger. Do the archeological work to find out what the real issue is and address it. It’s not easy for anyone to speak about what really troubles them, makes them afraid, makes them feel inadequate...tread gently, listen, let it come out.
Keep your mind out of other people’s business... It’s SO easy to be intrigued by someone’s misfortune or nasty life situation and watch their story... LET THAT GARBAGE GO!!! Putting unnecessary trash in your mind is really unhealthy. It’s like gratuitous Sex and Violence... LET IT GO and don’t put it into your mind and life. You have enough challenges in your own real life that you don’t need to carry or view other people’s stuff that doesn’t relate to you at all.
Your passions, addictions, what you want/need is all in your head. Remember as you deal with your addictive behaviors that it’s all in your head and not necessarily real at all. If you struggle with Food you can find all kinds of reasons to eat when you’re not hungry. If you’re a spender you’ll find all kinds of reasons why you absolutely must buy that thing today...Not true. How to handle it? Decide a rule of waiting 24 hours, a week, whatever it takes to become rational again and make a good decision. Addictive behaviors release dopamine which is more powerful than Heroin...you’re struggling with a mighty force and you need to be smart.
Networking...Loving People...Succeeding...Sharing...Adventure! Connecting with People really is the spice of life. Our interaction with others brings everything: love, wealth, opportunity, ministry, generosity... Give into your network and spread your loving influence in the world. You have something important to share and those around you have something to share with you! Just do it!
Get in the Flow with the Universe, Relax, Let it Unfold... There are moments when you feel that everything depends on your action, you, your ability to ”make it happen.” Other times events, people, situations, opportunities, just happen, unfold as if you’re walking through a series of doors that are opening for you... In those moments, relax, take it all in and trust your inner wisdom to give you the words and take advantage of the moment. Less of ”You” and more of the “Universe” is what’s happening...allow it to manifest and watch with thankfulness.
Sleep is important and needs to be a priority. Our electronic addiction age makes sleep difficult. Our addiction to ”busy” and constant visual stimulation makes sleep difficult... It’s a serious challenge but an important part of health...figure it out...it’s worth it.
Face your tough calls, issues and ”eat that frog.” Avoiding the difficult issues does not make them easier to deal with. Just pickup the phone and make the call, write the email and send it...don’t be afraid of your customers, colleagues, employees and do the tough things that need to be done. You may be surprised that it wasn’t that big of a deal!
Knock out your todo list. Things beginning to roll for you? Make sure to keep your day job going and you’re caught up on your key work. As you transition and work with your passion work you’ll need to keep the income going.
Big, pivotal week ahead?!? Relax, take a deep breath, focus and let it unfold as it should. Your inner wisdom will lead the way exactly as it needs to happen. You just need to show up and be yourself and not worry about the outcome, it’s in higher hands.
Embrace and race with the magic moments, avoid self-sabotage. You’ve been affirming and working and preparing for a big, pivotal change in your life...and it actually comes true... DON’T SELF-SABOTAGE!!! Many creatives are also addicts, and able to make a mess out of a beautiful situation...this is to be avoided at all costs. How? Use that daily, spiritual, physical, emotional, mental routine that got you to this point to help you run with the magic and do miraculous things. Upgrade your routine for the next level...
When former passions, ideas, innovations return... the Universe is telling you that you are now ready for it. ”The teacher arrives when the student is ready.” Are familiar things returning in unexpected ways?? It’s time to jump on it and see the project through...You’re Ready for IT! The time and timing is right...strike while the iron is hot!
Use your creative routine, intuitions, networking and positive think to turn a negative situation into a positive. Many reversals or disappointments are beyond your control. Your creative routine and spiritual, positive approach can help turn these days/situations around into a powerful moment. Take advantage of your advantage! Do your program and expect good things...they’re right in front of you.
Watch for Synchronicities and follow them... Did you notice something you’ve never noticed before? Check it out...follow it, you may NOW be ready for the discovery...it could be very meaningful. People come into your life when you’re ready for it. Things that you wanted before but weren’t ready for suddenly return – You're now ready for it...GO WITH IT!!!
Working on your health, positive mindset, letting go and your creativity all go well together. If you’re looking for a makeover of your creativity, look to a broader context of a Life makeover: health, positive mindset, letting go of fear-negativity, exercise, taming clutter, taming binge-ing of all kinds (food, spending, alcohol, electronics...). The more positive changes you address in your life, the more powerful your results and creative response will be...relationships will improve too as you gain confidence.
Trust your intuition and feelings of what moves you. If you have a genre, style, technique, workflow that transports you...follow it. Your inner self is trying to communicate with you through what moves you. What touches you, will touch others and be of benefit. Trust it, deepen it, go with it!
Put together ”performance templates” so you can practice, tweak and then perform your creations. The learning will be easier, trying out more things, learning the tools, enjoying the accomplishments of new compositions.
Journal daily to keep track of yourself and to get your thoughts out of your head and working for your goals, creativity, delight, progress...You’re doing the ”Lord’s Work” by getting your innate wisdom out of your mind and working for you...you’ll find excitement, joy, progress and all the good stuff from this exercise. It may awaken something in you that’s always been there waiting for you to open the door.
Develop a workflow that gets you QUICKLY to the creative process. Your template workflow as a starting point is VERY important...getting to creation quickly is really important. So often we hope to remember an inspiration and then lose it forever...Get your workflow going so you don’t lose these precious creative manna...
When a tool makes sense and leads you forward...run with it! Every now and then you find a tool or rediscover a tool you’ve had forever that actually makes sense...jump on it, run with it, squeeze all the juice out of it...Take it as a gift from the Muse/God/Higher Self...and DO something with it. It will take you to new places that you need to explore.
Your biggest obstacle is the way. If you face obstacles in your life, look for where it forces you to go and cope with it. This could very well be your next step, guidance towards the fulfillment of your goal. You may need to creatively refocus what you do, how you do it, all of the issues around dealing with the obstacle BUT it could very well provide you with the seed of what you need to do and the way you need to do it.
Begin your day with Thanks and reflection on your progress. A good moment of being grateful for your progress and point in your life is an excellent way to start the day, start the weekend, start the week... Regular thanksgiving helps set the tone for your attitude, reactions and general dealing with the world...Very important to your creative process and your life process.
If you have a discovery, innovation, breakthrough...find a way to start deepening it immediately. There are times that we truly discover something new and walk away from it. DON’T DO THAT!!! Your discovery needs to be explored, deepened, shared, developed...it’s a gift, make it special by being the expert with it. By all means DO NOT IGNORE OR LET IT GO...!!!
Invent performance deadlines if necessary to keep you moving forward. Regardless of your status as a professional, fulltime, part-time, hobbyist... Come up with a ”Gig” to work for and do it...online, in a park, in a church, in a nursing home, in your backyard... The deadline will push you to actually do something and make progress. Projects are what creativity is all about.
Don’t give in to fear and negativity. There are all kinds of reasons to be negative and fearful, there will always be these reasons. There has always been a reason to think the world is ending, the sky is falling, things are too corrupt. Don’t believe it, find positive things to focus on. Take the moment as a challenge to change yourself... Don’t let the negativity run over you and put you in a place of fear.
Kurt Vonnegut said it best: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.
Silence can be the best policy. ”Speaking your truth” may feel good, be entirely necessary at times but sometimes not the best tact to take. With significant others it’s best to start with listening, understanding and silence. Understand before lashing out or responding in kind or saying anything. Stress, lack of sleep, anxiety, fear, feeling of overwhelm, physical issues... may be the cause behind a sharp word. Understand first, let go, forgive and look for positive comments...you’ll save the day/weekend for them and you.
August 2022
Lean into your Enthusiasm. If you find things, ideas, plans, performances, music, art... that get you excited...lean into it, feed on it, see where it goes... Your passion will lead the way. Your enthusiasm will be the fuel you need to continue working and growing.
Stop trying to return the gift! You may have a work or relationship or housing situation that you don’t consider ideal. Be careful not to wish for a change too quickly until you’ve looked at the possible blessing that the Universe is trying to give you!!! This moment may be a time to actually accomplish your real goals that are important to you...do that task you’ve been putting off, learn the skill, develop your repertoire...do what you think you’ve always wanted to do and maybe the next step will come at the perfect moment and you’ve used this time to the fullest.
Feed off the energy and enthusiasm your creative work brings to you. I’m sure you’ve had times when you were dead tired and doing your creative thing brought you energy for hours longer than you imagined possible. This is that wonderful ”FLOW” state that is always there for you. Learn to activate it more often and don’t worry about early mornings, late nights, fatigue...it will always deliver.
What you create, publish, perform, play is what you treasure long-term.Look back at what you’re most proud of and enjoy to listen/watch re-experience... Those are the things, people, experiences that you need more of. Appreciate the moments that you have with these experiences and build them into your daily routine. You life will be enriched and you’ll enrich others as you share them. Protect these moments too from the people that would cut you/them down...you don’t need that!
Don’t let the frustration keep you from moving forward! It’s amazing how much persistence and tenacity is required to move forward with anything you care about! YOU WILL BE TESTED! Keep with it, it’s worth it. That extra few minutes, one more try, a new idea...may be the trick. You may be VERY close to moving forward...keep at it!
Learn by Doing...jump in, make a mess, adjust and learn. Sometimes the most fun of learning is taking the plunge and see where it goes. When you run into roadblocks, you’ll most likely go to do a tutorial or read the manual. There’s good chance that you will really learn the task, machine, routine, concept forever with this method. Add documentation and journaling and you won’t forget it and can share it. Develop a mini project to publish...even more valuable!
Limit your goals and go deep. You want to accomplish a lot and have a lot of ideas but sometimes the overload is too heavy and inhibits the goal attainment you’re looking for. Take a break, decide to learn a few, basic things VERY WELL, DEEPLY, and take good notes. Pick an important skill and master it. Surprisingly the result may be that you understand the other tasks/skills so much better...your mind is free and flexible and you’re learning more...Celebrate!
Take a Sabbatical Day and do nothing but the most important tasks for your most important goals. Publish something to demonstrate that your day was productive. Make it something important, that you’ve been putting off (because you never have time...), something that you will treasure and will give you energy to do more. Keep it a secret or make it public depending on what your inner wisdom tells you to do. Just Do It!
Streamline, declutter, simplify, document, stick to a winning routine. In order to really accomplish something, you want to achieve you must take some clear steps to make it happen. First step is to understand ”YOU” and how you need to manage yourself to move forward and giterdone. Document the process and implement your routine/groove and see what works and what doesn’t and adjust. Get started today.
Virtual Gig – Invent a concert event! So, you have many excuses for not performing live: no time, work, family, don’t want the hassle, can’t stay up that late, cuts into family time, your spouse won’t let you, can’t get a gig, no interest...the excuses are endless. If you have a cell phone you can record a virtual concert at home, outside... Just Do It and see where it goes.
Speak your truth and let the chips fall where they may...you may be surprised a positive, unexpected result! So often we’re afraid and saying what we need to say. It’s a matter of trust...in you and your feelings and in the other person. Take a chance...the other person may surprise you and you’ve gained a lot. If not, that’s good too...at least you know!
Take care of your Significant Other...He/She is putting up with a lot. Creatives are not easy to live with. We need to focus on our art/process/project and it looks very selfish to others, especially if the close person to you doesn’t share the passion. Opposites attract so mostly you’re with the responsible one. Make sure to take time to give them a break on a weekly basis. Make sure it’s something that’s a break FOR THEM and not according to you.
Focus on ”your stuff” it will give you the satisfaction and energy you’re looking for. You only have so much time to spend, make sure you’re working on something that you’ll be proud of long term.
Overwhelmed by the possibilities, number of options? Pick the one right in front of you and see where that takes you. You know what it is, just choose, decide, commit and go. Try not to leave until you’ve finished a result/task/publishable event-product and done something with it.
Setbacks are lessons...embrace them, learn from them, make course corrections. When you receive a less than positive test result, grade, review, product interest, rejection...take it as a lesson and a chance to make an adjustment to your program. Make your adjustment and monitor how it’s working...You’ll continually make changes as you grow, change and see what works.
Mine the Diamonds in your own field. When you’re disappointed with how things are turning out...look to what’s right in front of you or already in your hand. Start working with what you have and see where it takes you. Understand what your needs are and see what you can do to fill them. Then look to what other people’s needs are that are similar and fill the need...Your business or next step may be very clear from that analysis.
Your ”pause moment” is your time to learn something you really need to know/master or have been curious of or have put off. Take this moment and ”learn it!” It will serve you well for the next chapter that is unfolding. Make sure to document it, others may benefit from your discoveries!
Disappointments are part of the journey. When things don’t turn out as you’d hoped, thought, expected or needed...it’s a sign that better things, closer fits, the right path is on the way. Keep preparing, keep the search up, keep positive and expect the best. Some of the best things are those that didn’t happen. You can only evaluate looking back, not forward. Let it happen and relax in the flow.
You are Unique and You’re NOT! We often think our problems with work, people, our partners, our families...are unique to us...Just watch a good comedy routine to realize that you are just like everyone else. Take comfort in that knowledge and realize that there is a way out for all of your problems and others have been there before...learn from them! Then share your take on it and help others.
Learn from the Pros. Someone has already done what you want to do...learn from them...customize it to you and get to your goal. We often spend YEARS reinventing the wheel when there’s someone who has already figured it out and they can save you a lot of time and trouble. USE THEM! We live in a wonderful YouTube age of tutorials and examples...these people are sharing and you need to learn from them...
Follow the dream, everything will work out fine. The anticipation of change can often lead us to wait for it to happen before working on our highly held goals...Don’t wait, get busy, the changes will come at the perfect time. Your ability to follow your dreams will hasten the arrival of the changes you need to have happen.
Expect things to turn out well and peacefully. Don’t stress about the provision you need. What you want, wants you...let it happen and be peaceful, speak your truth, ask for what you need and want.
Look for the clues...they are there. The Universe is speaking to you constantly, LISTEN! Look for the synchronicities and follow the lead. The Universe is trying to get you to where you need and want to be. Trust it, rely on it, be peaceful in it.
Learn how to reset. No matter how good your transformation or learning or experience may have been you’ll need to know how to reset when you find yourself off track... Figure out how YOU work and learn how to get back in the Flow and moving in the direction YOU want to go. This resetting/correction will be necessary so figure it out! Look for the guides who arrive when you need to discuss it and understand it. It could be your Uber driver or the person sitting next to you on the plane or in line at the grocery store or your significant other/family member/best friend... Seek and ye shall find!
Life is Time and Energy...Invest them both well! Life is really very simple! You have limited time and your ability to enjoy it/take advantage of it depends on your health, your relationships and your energy to take part in them. Invest your time and energy well..you’ll never get it back or have a second shot. You also will have the opportunity to start over in any moment...Make it work!
Choose your battles. Not everything is worth the fight... This goes for work, your important relationships, casual contact with strangers, driving your car! So many things are just not worth being overly sensitive...save it for the important stuff. ”Don’t sweat the small stuff...it’s all small stuff!”
Go deep and really learn something with a goal of producing something to publish. Learning something all the way is not easy for creatives (or anyone!). Learning without a project or publishing or a deadline is often pointless. Pick a subject, limit the scope, do the work, finish a project and publish it. Watch the momentum grow! You’ll soon be doing things you never thought possible. You may have dreamed of this for a very long time...now it’s time to actually do something...Just Do It!
Relax, take a breath, let life take you where you need to go. We often feel that we’re in control...we’re not. We make our best decisions with the light we have and then react to what comes and/or the consequences of those choices. The world flashes in and disturbs the chess match and we start again. Every now and then it’s good to step back and see what’s going on and where life is taking you...turn your canoe downstream and follow the flow.
Every day is a new start... Renew, start over, release the negativity and get busy creating a beautiful life. We’re always starting over. Realize that you are creating your reality and can make changes if you really want to. The trick is that you need to desire it fervently... Use your passion to attach to your desire for higher things and let it feed your growth today. You’ll experience FLOW, you’ll experience God within, you’ll experience the Kingdom of God within you...Discover it, let it use you and bring you to the perfection place for this moment in your life.
Good things come to those who wait. We’re always in such a hurry for progress, new things, improvements and drama. Take the time to learn and do with attention and pace. Get deep with the important skills and passions you have.
Don’t rush...let opportunities and relationships develop naturally. When a new opportunity or relationship comes up you/we may be tempted to act, jump in... The best tact may be to relax and let it grow in a relaxed fashion. The best decisions don’t need to be rushed. These days we’re inundated by scams and get rich quick schemes...be wise and take your time.
July 2022
Lose the negativity. If you feel you need to be negative, wait a day and see if it really is necessary... most likely it’s not. Digital communications are especially in need of restraint because of the possibility of misunderstanding and offense...be very slow to engage in sharp responses...
If people accept you...great, if not, let it go without a big reaction. You’ll reach out to people with enthusiasm, and they may not reciprocate. Let it go, it’s not the right time or person or situation. It’s not a reflection on you but rather on any number of things outside of your control...let it go. The right thing, situation, person, next step will arrive when you’re ready. Focus on your own growth, the rest will come at the right time.
Make progress without stress...let the excitement push you forward. Many of us are leading stressful lives and work hard based on deadlines that can be crushing. Try a different approach with your passion/creativity - take your time, learn slowly and let the passion/emthusiasm move you rather than the stress or needing to check off boxes.
Discover your optimal learning style and use it! If you’ve been frustrated with your inability to learn things, you really want to...maybe you’re using a learning style that doesn’t work for you! Try something different...there are more free online resources than ever before...this is the golden age of learning on command. Research alternative learning methods and find the one that works for you. Youtube instructional videos have opened a whole new way of learning for me...I’m a visual/auditory learner. Reading manuals is tedious and unproductive. I do find that I need to write down what I learn and refer back to it...find your way and use it!
Define your rules/routine/best life and seek to live there consistently. When you don’t follow your best practices, it can take weeks to return to your ideal situation. Make your best life, your normal life...diets, unusual measures...can work to get you somewhere BUT you need to have a real life, normal routine you can stick with...find that and stick with it!
If you have an involuntary” Sabbatical” enjoy it, work it, accept it...don’t refuse it. Did you lose a job, change of relationship, finished school...?!? Take advantage of your down time to work on your interests, passions, reflections, learning, writing, creating. Don’t push it away, or lose the opportunity to make progress.
Complement someone today and every day for a month...create a new habit. Similar to giving anonymously, complementing someone every day will put out good stuff into the Universe. Make it sincere, true, simple and just leave it there...there are plenty of people out there that deserve a complement...try strangers, family members loved ones, people you meet at the store... Try it for a month and see what happens!
Perform an act of charity anonymously today, send good stuff out. Do something today that will send good vibes, karma, pay it forward...whatever makes sense to you. Do it anonymously, in secret, don’t tell anyone. There is so much need everywhere that it will be easy. Just do it, and see what happens.
Follow your curiosities – they'll bring you where you need to go. Are you interested in a subject, a course, a company, a philosophy, a new technique, and old one?!? Follow it and see where it takes you. You’ll learn something new and grow and find yourself thinking new thoughts and doing new things and growing, making progress...!
Let your passion help you achieve your other goals. Doing your passion helps you lose track of time, feel positive, stick to your diet, feel good about your life...live it! Take advantage of your most important asset – your passion.
Slay the Dragon, Eat the Frog, Bust Stress. There are tasks that keep you up at night. There are things you’re avoiding both at work and in your personal life. Write them down, knock them out one at a time. Decide to make progress today and you’ll find that they aren’t as nasty as you thought.
Evaluate where you are today and make your course corrections. Periodically it’s important to take stock and see if you’re moving forward. If you need to make changes, start with the clear ones and move forward to the more difficult ones. Your daily routine will be a big help to get started and encourage yourself to get back on it.
You see what you put in front of yourself, what you look for you find. I realized by looking at my YouTube feed that I was a bit too fascinated with the creepy, evil people or with arguments between believers/unbelievers... Stepping back a moment I realized that with my limited time and energy I need to focus on things that I think are important, fun, uplifting and where I want to focus and go. If you’re caught up in addictions to negativity, evil, gross...it’s probably because it is titillating and not because it’s who you to be, where you want to go. Reevaluate and change your feed!
Celebrate an accomplishment – yours or someone you care about. Take time to celebrate often. Life can be a real challenge and we are often hard on ourselves...take a break and celebrate someone’s achievement, birthday, event, job...anything! The joy you receive and the joy you give will feed your soul...Just Do it!
Be kind to yourself and your partner. Whatever your age or the number of years that have passed, you may be experiencing the repercussions of earlier abuse or other bad moments in your life. Let it come out, let it pass, let it be expressed. Hopefully you have a trusted partner, friend, therapist...to get your tough moments out of your psyche so they can pass and you can heal. Be kind to yourself, this is not an easy process and it may take more time than you can imagine. Do the work, it will be worth it.
Overcome procrastination through your daily routine and one task. We all have moments of procrastination and just not feeling like doing anything. In those moments rely on your daily routine to get you started and then pick just one thing to do from start to finish. It could be an important thing, it could be trivial, it could be something you’ve always wanted to do/learn/complete... Pick something and don’t worry about the priority. Action leads to more action and satisfaction and validation
If one door closes...let it go, move on and go on to the next option...don’t get caught up in the loss. With all of the options we have, if something is a negative or doesn’t work...move on and don’t let it affect your psyche/peace of mind. Put your energy on the solution, the next option and be thankful that the loss has freed up space for the new and better.
File organization is life organization... The ability to find what you need to work, create, document, organize your life...is very important and not easy for most creatives. Some kind of ”organization groove” may be the best way to do it... Program a fixed time to make sure your most important information is up to date, on target, available, clear...
You have the power of decision regarding toxic relationships... Learn about what they are, who they are and guard yourself against them. Take care of your mental health first. Take care of the people who really matter and love you second. Do what you need to do for the rest and respect your own boundaries. The power really is yours...don’t give it to anyone else.
Seize the Seasons of Opportunity. Your life, like nature, has seasons throughout the year. As a creative you have times of the day and week that are the best for doing your work. During the year you also experience different moments of how life interacts with you. On a broader scope you also have moments when it’s time to dig in and giterdone. Follow your intuition and do the work when the time is right. Rest when that moment is right, study/prepare between times...follow the flow of your seasons.
Get your creative stuff organized!!! Clutter, disorganization will limit your creative output. That’s put nicely...it’s a killer. Get your workflow together, yes but get your file organization so you can find what you need to create and find what you did create! Nothing worse than realizing you can’t find that great composition you did a year ago and have to start over.
Realize the absurdity of companies and social structures... When you look closely at religious, social, schools, work...you realize it’s really crazy absurd. Take everything with a hugh grain of salt/sugar whatever you like...it’s all temporary and unreal. Take away?!? Focus on your goals and not on the B.S. that takes your personal peace!
Learn to Let Go of irritations daily... In our normal life we have difficult people, irritations, challenges...if you don’t let go of them regularly they will build up and affect your mood, health, career, lead you to do things you regret. These days the digital media advantages are counterbalanced with the risks. One small, posted comment can last forever, hurt people, brand you as a troublemaker... Be wise, let go, understand the larger perspective and don’t overreact.
Learn just ONE skill today that’s useful, then play for 30 minutes... Start slow, do something important, learn something useful...Just start. Overwhelm is a major issue for creatives (all of us). The constant mental clutter of digital phones...also is a major problem. Just do one thing and play (to remind yourself of why you’re learning).
Decide what kind of a day you want, make it so. Sit for a moment and write down what you want to experience today...write down your stress-busters, todo, wanna-do and see if you can make it a great day. Check with your significant other and see what they suggest, need want and figure out together how to make it so. They/He/She/It will appreciate the desire to make it great for everyone.
Work it out. Actually do the work, jump in, thrash around in your creative process. These days we all spend way too much time living in our heads, dreaming about doing the work and never getting around to actually doing it. Carve out an hour to just work with your tools and create. Make as simple a setup as possible and focus on playing and seeing how your creativity works.
Pay attention to your finances, what you watch, grows. Creatives are often not good at Finances. If that’s you, find a person to help you, simplify, streamline, follow a few simple rules and track your progress. Good financial information is out there, go with the traditional stuff as a base.
Connect with Nature, the Sun, sweat a little...it’s good for you. We tend to spend so much time indoors that getting outdoors requires discipline... Take a moment today to get some Vitamin D. The Sun may also change your mood, your perspective, and recharge your batteries.
Difficult situation?!? Maybe the best tact is to do nothing... When we find ourselves in a difficult situation we often want to act, fight back, react, attack. Sometimes/ofttimes the best approach is to wait and see if the situation will work itself out without your action. This is especially true when there is a conflict with a difficult person. Difficult people usually undo themselves. Difficult people are often just looking for a reaction, for attention, for a fight... Take a step back, relax, wait and see what your intuition tells you to do. Give the universe a chance to resolve the situation first...
Take a Sabbatical Day. When you’re overrun by stress and stressful people...take a day off and recoup. Spend time doing something that really interests you. Unplug from the phone, online connections and just listen to and really hear your soul speaking to you. If you receive instructions, take it and do it immediately without question. Refresh and listen...good things are coming!
Relax and go through your day without fear or apprehension. Do your routine, take your confidence and peace and calmness with you and get yourself out there...You’re fine, it will work out ok.
Take Action, Just Do It, Do Something that moves you forward. We over complicate everything unnecessarily. Don’t wait, don’t procrastinate, don’t think, don’t...anything, just do something. You already know what to do. Pick a lane, task, interest, passion and do it. Watch what happens...See what works and do more of it.
Dare to call your own bluff...do what you feel is your life’s purpose today, everything else should be second place (after loving your significant others, respecting your health). Do something you consider to be your life’s purpose in as simple and direct form as possible (so you actually do it). You can complicate things later once you’ve: played, written, read, loved, painted, acted...
Don’t take on other people’s STUFF... It’s easy to get wrapped up in other people’s dramas... Detachment is healthy, necessary and important. If you can’t detach, get some distance, don’t take the calls, maintain boundaries and your personal peace at all costs. Live your own life on your terms and deal with you own STUFF...it’s plenty!
Take a sip of your magic potion in the morning first thing to give you energy, perspective, enthusiasm, joy and a positive attitude to take through the day. What is this ”magic potion???” It’s your creativity, your passion, your love, your best self. If you’re a musician, play your favorite song on your instrument, if you’re a writer, write something, if you’re a painter/graphic artist – draw, paint, put something down, if you’re simply a lover – hug, kiss, encourage your significant other, if you’re a spiritual being – pray, meditate, connect with your eternal power. Let this inform your day and put everything in its proper place/perspective.
It’s all about the attitude. Do you find yourself in a difficult situation with a colleague, family member... try changing your attitude and look for a way to make it positive. At the very least, ”kill them with kindness,” and see where a good attitude brings you. You may even ”redeem” the situation and/or person and have a much better experience going forward because of it. Try that first!
Boldness & Confidence will bring you what you desire and help you do what needs to be done today. Put down what you need to accomplish today, feel your confidence, boldly do it without fear of mistakes. Procrastination, holding back and fear are powerful adversaries...don’t feed them. You will negate their effects by acting with boldness and confidence. You already know what to do...do it!
Watch for Synchronicity...it’s leading somewhere and it’s an adventure you’ll not want to miss. Are you receiving signs, seeing patterns, hearing repetitive sayings....It could very well be your divine source trying to steer you towards the next step, an adventure, more growth, more...of what you want! Take it seriously, document it, follow the leading you receive and rejoice in evidence that there’s more to this journey than just suffering.
June 2022
Ask powerful question and follow the answer you receive. Ask questions that are important for where you are at today: What’s the best use of my time? What do I need to learn today? What do I need to do today? How can I live my best life today? How can I live my purpose today? How can I grow today? Then get quiet, record the answer/answers and get busy doing what you receive.
Keep with your routine, once you stop, it’s tough to restart. It’s very easy to find excuses to take breaks from your daily routines that are important. It’s very hard to restart! Cheating on a diet is also easy to do and hard recover from...it could take weeks for you to return to where you were.
What’s the best use of your time right now. This powerful question can help you with time management. This question can help you understand where your highest self wants to lead you to. Ask the question and take action immediately.
Do what your intuition tells you to do. Don’t ask questions, don’t overthink, this is an intuitive process. Go with what you’ve been given from your higher self/God within... do it and see where it takes you.
Once Intuition calls, the answer is to ”Just Do It” and see where it leads you. Getting the intuition, listening to your inner voice, seeing the signs, having the opportunities is really the ”easy part.” The hard part is to follow through, do what your intuition tells you to do and go for it. Do something today that is a follow up to your intuition. Make the call, learn the task, send the email, publish the work, learn what you need to learn to get to the next level...Do, Do, Do...
Your Intuition is Calling...Listen and Follow. Your higher self is always calling to you through your intuition, spirit, close partners, total strangers, circumstances. Listen, take it in, learn from from it and follow its lead...
Take a project through a process to develop your workflow. Begin a project with a roadmap of how you think you should develop it. Start...revise as you go...figure out a good stopping point and publish it, perform it, record it, document your progress.
Seize the season... If it’s summer and you can perform/be outside as a creative, jump on it. If you see a Christmas season and you want to play that music, write about it, paint it...get ready and take advantage of that seasonality.
Let your creative work energize your and give you the enthusiasm that feeds you. Need energy, motivation, refreshment, distraction from life...? Dig into your creative expressiona and feel the goodness it brings you. Sometimes just a few minutes will brighten your day, your mood, an evening...and give you the positive attitude that will turn a difficult situation around...go with the flow!
When you find a creative setup that works for you...dig deep, figure it out, make it work. Figure out your workflow, your setup, your equipment/instrument. Once you have it going, get it out, publish, do a video, sit outside and play in the backyard/church/farmer’s market...
Accept the gift of your current situation/your life/your current ”now” opportunities and limitations. Stop trying to give it back. Our present is a perfect reflection of our thinking, our past, our choices...enjoy it, reflect on it, live it. The power of the present and accepting it; frees us to live and learn and experience what we need to. Accept the gift and take it wherever you need to.
Do your most important thing first. It’s so easy to procrasinate and avoid your most important activity. If you’re a creative...create! Do that first, then do the rest.
We all have suffering and challenges in our lives. Don’t believe that anyone has it better than you. We all are struggling with life. No one is any better than you and most likely no one is any worse...The fantasy is that others have it better or worse... The significance of this is that you need to focus on improving yourself, deal with your obstacles, embrace the good and bad in your life, keep paddling. Go with the flow and see where your life is taking you. Say ”yes” to your life, opportunities, people in your life, say no to the negative, what your intuition tells you to refuse. Have healthy boundaries and look for the next step with positive expectation of a miracle. Life is a miracle, you are a miracle... embrace it and flow with it.
Figure yourself out, manage yourself. Dealing with yourself is your number one challenge. Managing your weight, mental attitude, actions, integrity, relationships, boundaries, addictions, talents, light/dark sides of yourself, dealing with the past, appreciating the present, preparing for the future, dealing with your mortality...it’s all there. Sooner or later you’ll discover that you have all the resources you need within yourself right now...how to access it and live in/with/from it is the task...get busy!
Write your stuff down, clarify your thoughts, get busy working on the sheets. Clarify your goals on paper so you can work on them, cross things off, make progress, do the work. Thoughts in the head are usually unorganized and difficult to act on. When it’s written down, it’s clear. Computer lists don’t seem to be as powerful as handwritten lists...not sure why. Get started now that you have clarity!
Make Progress, just take one step more towards your goal... It takes incredible perseverance to achieve important goals. Sometimes it seems like you don’t have what it takes. Just resolve to do something that moves you further in the direction of your goals. That little bit will make a difference.
Believe in your progress even if it’s minor and celebrate it and do more tomorrow!
Creators – create, artists paint, writers write, musicians play, composers compose... Focus on what you actually do first, then all of the administrative, digital, promotion, learning programs, posting...blah, blah, blah. It’s easy to use all the other stuff to avoid what your primary function as a creative is...to CREATE! Do that, then the rest.
Break it down to the simplest move and do that! Overwhelm is a major issue for creatives of all types. More stuff does not mean more production, more inspiration, better work...it just means more distractions in some cases and less work done. Break through the barriers and choose one small thing to do today and do it...journal it, celebrate it and get going!
People change...just not very much... Realize that the people you’ve chosen or been given, or been assigned to are probably not going to change much. Let go of the illusion that you can change them... Let go of the illusion that they will learn and change. Deal with the reality and work on changing yourself first. Look for ways to protect your own boundaries, get out if you must, accept/forgive and love if that’s the best choice. Choice is the key word. Tell a different story about the people in your life and your great reaction/dealing with them...that may be all you can do.
Take your own advice! We all have free advice for friends, family, colleagues... When you have a situation that you’d like to improve, change, deal with...step back and write down what you would recommend to another person in the same situation...then take your own advice! It’s amazing how we make allowances for ourselves that we wouldn’t and don’t make for others. We’re often very critical of others for not doing what we consider the obvious. Give it a shot..I’m sure there’s something that you can do along these lines today!
Guard your feelings, sharing with people who will distort your joy is to be avoided if possible. Guarding your peace is important but not always easy. Figure it out! Take the boundary steps you need to take and don’t apologize...
Treasure your friends, new and old. Friends can show you who you were, how far you came, how much you’ve changed and not changed... Friends remind us that we’re all pretty beaten up by life and it is important to celebrate that we’re still at it...
Take a deep breath, get some perspective and let your reactions be appropriate...let the emotions flow through. Setbacks, unpleasant things...all happen regularly, and they may be completely out of your control. There may be a bigger thing happening...take a deep breath and look at it from a different viewpoint. Ask a trusted person what they think and let it roll! It won’t matter in a week or maybe a day! Don’t lose your peace for something that doesn’t really matter.
Light a fire with enthusiasm, passion and love – see where it takes you!Got an idea for a get together, connecting differently/more positively with your partner, reconnecting with old friends, connecting with neighbors, connecting better with your kids, connecting better with your family? Do it and see where it takes you. Stick to your boundaries and principles so you don’t go off the wagon...but get yourself out there and see what happens!
The Final pounds are always the biggest challenge. The weight loss analogy applies to the creative journey... You’ve made amazing progress, you’re doing it... BUT the last bit of important progress is very stubborn... ”What got here, won’t get you there!” You’ll most likely need to finally address your lifelong issues to get to the final goal (addiction, poor self-esteem, unresolved wounds...).
Spouse/Partner/Significant Other/Family/Friend/Competitor Resistance...it’s real! You’re making progress and you want to share it but your significant person is frightened, threatened or irritated with your idea... If you encounter resistance you may need to retreat and figure it out. Most likely your approach is wrong and needs to be revised. Take it as a sign you need to make progress on your own in silence to demonstrate what you’re talking about.
May 2022
G.A.S. is real! Gear, Acquisition Syndrome. Purchasing equipment as a way of making “faux progress” is real in this consumer culture. Some of your favorite YouTubers make their living by trying to get you to buy things you really don’t need. The latest shiny object is not necessarily the correct investment for you and may actually hold you back because of the distraction. Use what you have before you buy anything new. This goes for software which is even harder to resist.
Creative Resistance...It’s real. Your next step may be clear but you’re having difficulty making it happen. Realize that this is normal. Break it down to something manageable and get busy taking the first step. Your increase in enthusiasm and energy will help make it happen.
Awareness is everything! Look back at your life and the moments you had that you wished you’d been better. Most likely it was your immaturity that kept you from appreciating what was in front of you. Realize that you’re in the same place today...try to get in touch with the higher part of yourself to maximize your life right now!
Know your core routine, simplify it so you can get back on track easily when you have setbacks. Make sure you’ve left the crumbs of bread so you can find your way back when you stray. The simplicity and effectiveness of your core routine will be everything to you. Take care of your routine and you’ll take care of you.
Decide what ”Plan A” for you and Just Do It. You already know what your deepest desire is. Most likely you’ve been told that it’s not practical or possible. You’ve bought into this...well, stop. Tell a different story where you miraculously succeed doing what you love, exactly what you love (not a second choice, not in the same field...exactly what you love). Start today. Just Do It.
Publish, Perform, Share, Produce, improve, make progress. It’s all about actually doing something. We get lost in our heads, our stuff, our busy schedules, our crises, our b.s., our procrastination... Make the decision to go forward with what you have in its imperfection that is YOU! Just Do it!
Try out your unused tools and see if they give you the creative spark they once had for you. We all have tools that were cool when we bought them and then we stopped using them...often for no good reason. Pull one out and see if it inspires you. It may not, so you can sell it or remove it. BUT it may and it may be what you’re needing in this moment. Give it a shot! Nothing to lose.
Reflect on your progress, expect a miracle. Look back at where you were and where you are now and where you’re headed. Decide to expect something special today and watch it happen. Journal it and document it so you have something to look back at when you need the encouragement from your own life. You are your best teacher, look for the ”teacher within”, the ”Kingdom within.” Trust the divinity you find inside and take action on your intuition today.
When you experience a breakthrough, embrace it, deepen it, benefit from it, look for the next step. Journaling helps clarify your vision. When your written goals begin to become reality...add fuel to the wonderful fire. Take it to the next level, write bigger, more interesting goals...step out and see where it all takes you.
Soak up and treasure the sweetness of this moment... Be thankful and let the goodness of the moment sink in. Let it inform your attitude and look for ways to appreciate the people and good things you’re enjoying. Let go of the future and the past...except to appreciate what’s going on right now...
Do what your intuition is telling you to do... There are many things that your intuition is telling you to do...some are important some are not. Get into the habit of acting and putting it out there. You may not understand the why but you do know the what. Keep track of it, forget that you did it and see when it comes back around.
Just do the work... By doing the work things will begin to flow and you’ll start creating and you’ll feel better and your energy will return and you’ll make forward progress. Just Start...the rest will kick in.
Take a project ”around the horn” of a full product work flow. Decide to go through an entire process on a single song and see what you can do! Make it simple so you don’t get caught up in the complexity but try to go through it all.
Develop a ”Daily Production Routine” that creates product that you can later edit, work with and publish. If you’re a writer, write/journal/blog daily. If you’re a musician play/produce/record daily. If you’re a painter/graphics/visual artist...sketch/paint/design daily...take advantage of the digital to get it out there more quickly than ever before possible. Work with small things and they will become larger projects with a bit of work.
The Best Plans won’t work unless you do. Time to get the plan out of your head and into your actions. Write it down, and do it. See how far you get and realize that it always takes longer than anticipated... Try it today, get started, do it and keep track of your progress.
Publish something today. Get started, Just Do It. Figure it out, take something you have ready or close enough and get it out there. If you have a regular production routine, you’ll now benefit from it. Get it started and it will also become a wonderful habit!
Learn by doing... Just pick a project and start working on it. The rabbit hole will appear and you’ll take it. Get out of your head and into actual production, actual learning, creating a project, song, poem, sound, healing, prayer...whatever it is for you.
Invent a project that includes skills you want to improve or learn and get busy. Sometimes we spend too much time in the theoretical and never get anything done and don’t make the progress we want to make for important goals... Overthinking/Overanalyzing is really just procrastination dressed up well. Drop it, pick a project, make it large enough that you can put several goals/skills in the same bucket and get started...see where it takes you!
Get up, Dust off, Get back on track. It’s really true that it’s not the falls but the getting back up and restarting that counts. You’ll have reversals and difficult moments but it’s the ability to re-engage that counts. You know how to make it happen...remember what you already know and start again. Just Do It! Don’t even think about it, just start again and you’ll get your momentum back.
Eat that Frog...Do your stress busters first. Write out the things you’re avoiding in the important areas of your life and make progress before getting to the time wasters. Time management really is Life management and will positively contribute to the quality of your day, life, relationships, work...
Do a mind flush daily. Find a way to get rid of the nagging negativity that sticks to you during the day. Find the way that works for you and do it during your day so you don’t allow the stupid things to ruin your work, relationships, inner peace, sleep. Take a walk, do a primal scream, talk it out with a close loved one, write, journal, exercise, meditate, pray...whatever works for you (maybe a combination of practices).
Be patient, learning-growing-doing-making progress takes time. If you’re involved in what you consider your life’s purpose, you’ll need to improve your skills and grow to get to the next level...this is a marathon not a sprint. Expect that everything will take more time than you anticipate. Be patient, the deep work you’re doing will pay off and soon you’ll look back at the progress and be amazed! Keep a journal, it will be encouraging.
Take a Sabbatical and concentrate on your key skill(s) that will move you forward. Learning/growing/progress takes time, skill, consistency and dedication. Take a Sabbatical of 1-4 hours to start with and make serious progress. Turn off the distractions and just dig in. The progress you make could be exponential. Try it and see.
Be Open to a new Awareness. As you start really living your life’s purpose as you see it...you may experience a serious awakening, a new awareness, consciousness. Follow the ”White Rabbit” to an adventure and paradigm shift that awaits you. You’ll not be sorry, don’t be afraid.
Decide what your ”Life’s Purpose” is and just start. Many of us get stuck on this whole ”life purpose” thing...we never do anything, never accomplish anything, never move forward. Just decide something that’s important to you and get started...it will become clearer as you take steps.
Make one person happy. No need to shoot for the moon or the world, just start with one person. That person may be you. Then move on to your next most important person and figure out how to make the two of you happy... The knowledge of how to do it is inside you. Quiet your mind and follow your intuition and heart...you can’t go wrong.
Write a love letter to someone today. There’s someone in your life who has hurt and needs real encouragement from you. Figure out who that person is and write them/email them/text them... a love letter that you know will tell them how special they are to you.
Write it down, make it happen. There’s something magical about writing...It seems that it helps program our minds, brings focus, releases burdens/hurts, reveals mysteries... Don’t believe me?!? Give it a try. Julia Cameron - ”The Artist’s Way” helped me start or restart and it has made all the difference. It’s not important to me how it works, if it works, why it works...it just works and is entirely worth including in your morning (afternoon and evening) routine.
Be honest about the dark side of yourself. Every now and then it’s important to see the log in your own eye as you criticize the sliver of wood in your neighbor/relative/partner’s eye. See your own hypocrisy, dishonesty, addictions, incongruency, lying, asshole – iol side of YOU and temper your reactions to others. Decide to work on yourself, make progress, be better, and be less judgmental...everyone is here to learn, so are you. Slip everyone, including yourself, a bit of slack, grace, forgiveness...You need it to from them and yourself.
Find a connection. The greatest challenge for all of us is to find connections with others. We seem to be wired for selfishness, our own perspective, judging everything through our own Lense. Try to find it without asking, then try just asking...you may be surprised at the answer.
April 2022
Practice daily silence. Silence – listening is a lost art. Silence, in all of its forms, helps release what’s inside. We fill our lives with noise of all kinds to cover the silence that brings out the spiritual and deep parts of our lives/soul/spirit... Take some time today to actually experience silence in whatever form you’re comfortable with.
Start with a simple grid/plan/procedure/groove. Learn it, craft it, update it, work it and develop it. A working model that you do is always better than a confused, theoretical model that you never do. Make it very simple so you can actually do it and see where it takes you. Allow yourself an hour to just explore this “workflow” and let it become part of you. Document it so you don’t forget it or lose the steps.
Let anger flow through you without attaching to it. Realize that angry thoughts/reactions are transitory, and you need to observe and let them pass through you without holding on to them. Reach for a different thought, walk away, let your partner handle it, do something different to break the pattern. Realize what the pattern is and let go of it. Sometimes understanding/perspective will help. Often, just getting out of it is the best short-term way to handle it. Do what you need to do and then reflect.
Anger is a major indicator of need for growth. When situations set you off and you lose it...it’s an indication that you have work to do. Our human pettiness rears its ugly head and we see just how superficial we are. Join the club! See it for what it is, realize that you need to change. Get busy dusting yourself off and making the changes. Realize that you’re not perfect and you really need to deal with whatever that issue/moment/blow-out revealed.
Step by step progress, learning something slowly and deeply is the long-term strategy for growth. Quick fixes occasionally come but it’s the deep learning and deep relationships that stick with you over time. Decide to take your time and dig deeply in a subject that interests you. You can only do one of these at a time so choose wisely and stick with it until you wrestle it to the ground! Just Do It!
Write a training manual. The adage ”You learn best by trying to teach” is true. Take your important task, write out your steps as if you’re teaching a student. You’ll be able to replicate your procedure and you’ll be able to teach another person should that become necessary.
Stay the course. Jumping off the wagon usually comes with an expectation of some kind of thrill or short-term excitement. Usually, you’ll find that it just brings regret, a headache and the desire to get back on the positive track. If you’ve slipped, just restart and move forward...leave the regret and self-flagellation behind. You know how to do the right thing for you mind and body...just do it!
Decide it will be an exciting, eventful, prosperous week. Look for evidence every day of the week you’ve created through your decision. Let yourself dream, hope, have faith, take action ”as if,” move forward, make progress, document your progress, celebrate your progress. See where this frame of mind takes you and what shows up ”out of the blue!”
Believe the impossible. Take a moment to reflect on the impossible and dream a scene where it comes true. Experience the fun, enthusiasm and endorphin rush that accompanies a Wish Fulfilled. Take your feelings for a spin. Be open to a miracle and see what arrives ”out of the blue.”
Rest in the knowledge that the Universe is in control and has your back. We’re always in a transition either improving or moving backwards. Sometimes a seeming backward movement is the prep time to get ready for the next offensive, the next launch, the next progress. Rest in the uncertainty and waiting moment and make it count by doing the things you now have time for...don’t waste this precious moment.
Celebrate the Good you have and are experiencing. We all face challenges; we all have good things happening as well. Focus on identifying that good thing and remember it, relax in it, be happy you have it...Make a conscious effort. Remembering that feeling will help you bring more of it to you.
Make small progress, take your Gig to another level. There are so many good resources on YouTube to help you learn what you need/want to learn to take your Gig to another level. Get on there and take one lesson, learn it, celebrate it, work it, take your project to the next level. JUST DO IT! Might be easier than you imagine and you’re building your learning muscle and enthusiasm as you go.
Have faith that the next step is already in place and ready for you when you are. - focus on being ready. The Universe is two steps ahead of you and has already prepared the next step for you. Your job is simple: Do what’s in front of you, what you’re avoiding, prepare to receive and it will come when you’re ready. Impatience is normal but not helpful, focus on what you can do, what you know and what’s already clear. Chances are that it’s been clear for a VERY long time. Now get busy doing it.
Be mindful of your health and your body’s rhythms. It’s so easy to ignore your body’s messages to you. Rest and refueling is not a value these days. If your body is telling you to slow down and recoup...you better listen or reap the consequences.
Get organized, develop a workflow, produce product, publish, market, sell, move forward. Your projects need to amp up and actually go through the process to make them work. If it’s a passion, take it seriously as you would your day job. Take your own advice and JUST DO IT. The next steps will be clear and in front of you as you go.
Allow yourself to do the thing that interests you. We spend so much time doing what we feel we MUST do that we never get to the things that we really want to do. We think we’ll do it when...we have the money, we have the time, we’ve studied enough, our relationship is good, our health is good... Doing it WHEN is really code for never. JUST DO IT and see how it shakes out and where it leads you...
Ask for what you need. In most relationships we expect our partner to know what we want and need and give it to us. This mind reading is simply not possible and is a cop-out. Work with your partner to discuss needs, expectations and how to make it work. The alternative is conflict, hurt, misunderstanding and failure. Fear in relationships can be fatal, find a way to communicate and get to a different place.
Go on a 10-day Negativity Fast. The greatest enemy of your mental health, your relationships, your manifestations, your business success, your physical health is negativity. We live in a world that is full of negativity from the media and conversation. We all seem to like to gossip and lament the bad stories. Let it go, make a deliberate decision to not contribute, comment, gossip,” share” negative material. Keep track of what happens! Be prepared for surprises and positive moves forward.
Make Creating Daily a Priority. If creating brings you the enthusiasm, energy and sense of meaning, do it when during the best time of your day. Find a creative medium that gets you creating quickly and easily. Give yourself permission do what you love with the respect it deserves. Make it a spiritual practice and it will take care of you.
Write your own ”Holy Book”. Does the ”Holy Book” of your youth seem barbaric, out of touch, offensive, not relevant or even a bit dangerous?!? Write your own. Figure out what makes sense to you and keep track of it, write it, blog it, meditate on it... Take the challenge to actually do something that is meaningful for you. You don’t need to push it on other people. You can make sure it actually works and is relevant and meaningful to you...keep it a secret and benefit from it. You’ll find people to share with at the right moment but there’s no need to go looking for that. They will come to you and you’ll share if it’s necessary. They may even give you the next chapter or a refinement or...a change.
Do something generous and anonymous for a person in need today. Put out some good vibes-Karma-Prayer-real support for someone in need today. It will encourage them and your spirit and lead to more good things. Keep it super private and it will magnify the result. Find your way to pray for the person and do it daily. Make it your miracle/faith routine and exercise this muscle daily for whomever needs it and comes to mind.
Don’t take health and loved ones for granted... At the end of the day all we really have is our health and the people we love. Usually we don’t really appreciate it/them until there are issues-challenges-losses. Turn that around today by focusing on what counts and saying the things you need to say so they know. Do something positive for them, your health and make it personal.
Revel, recharge, revive yourself in your ”home,” wherever that is for you. If you find a place or create a place that makes you feel at peace, at home, loved, happy...let that place and those people fill your life and your soul...You’re very fortunate to have it. Don’t take it for granted, let it seep into your psyche’ and fill you with the spiritual refreshment you need to continue on and face the inevitable resistance that is part of this life.
Life is short, our human frailty is our limitation. The fact that we don’t know our ”time and hour” of our life is good...don’t be deluded that you always have time...do what’s on your heart and go with with you’ve given meaning to (family, health, wealth, success, ministry, healing...). Do the things that are on your mind and see where it takes you. Love those around you...you never know how long they’ll be there.
Develop your own curriculum. Figure out what you need to learn and take the first step. Develop your own learning curriculum and bibliography. Remember that you are an author, teacher, student and are the center of this process. Just start with one reasonable step and the next will be clear after that.
Be who you are, relax and let people be who they are. Know yourself, be yourself, let others do the same. When you don’t need to be the center of attention but can watch others be themselves you’re really free and give that freedom to others.
March 2022
Be who you are, relax and let people be who they are. Know yourself, be yourself, let others do the same. When you don’t need to be the center of attention but can watch others be themselves you’re really free and give that freedom to others.
Feed Your Enthusiam. If you’re excited about something, it’s more interesting, you lose track of time, it’s meaningful, it’s life-giving... Understand what’s important to you, what gets you excited and feed it. Give it regular opportunities to get pumped! Your life will take off, you’ll know how to get out of bad moods, you’ll keep feeding your soul and new/exciting things will keep coming.
Keep away from toxicity. Most of this toxicity comes from relationships and other people’s stuff...watch out and find a way to avoid letting it poison you!!! Focus on improving/working on yourself and what’s in front of you rather than the past or reinterpreting the past. You can never go back so stop trying! Other people’s respect is not the point. Your internal respect and that of your closest partner, children, friends is what matters. Be present and see what this moment holds, the old and the future is not it.
Know your priorities. If you know what your REAL priorities are, you’ll know what to do next, what matters and where you’re going. You may even understand your Life’s Purpose! Writing is a powerful tool to clarify and focus your priorities. Discussions with trusted people also helps. Documenting your life will show you in retrospect what your true priorities are. Get in touch with this, it’s powerful and could be surprising.
Destress by checking off your ”stressbuster” tasks first. Take time to put together a ”stressbuster” list. Get started on the most stressful, most important, most urgent and giterdone. Stress is the biggest threat to your peace of mind, sleep, relationships, general well-being. Take it seriously and tackle it daily so you keep it at bay. Stess will never end but our response to it can change, develop, improve and help us deal with it in a positive way.
People change, just not very much. A wise minister once told me this. He himself was very flawed and dealt with flawed people...The fallacy is thinking that people will change. Change is not easy so don’t expect it from people who you wish would change. Accept them for who they are, love them. Don’t expect something from a person who is not capable of doing it. Look at what they’ve actually done and you’ll know what to expect. If they do more...rejoice in it!
Pretend to be in Retirement for a day, take a Sabbatical Day. Decide to spend a day giving yourself permission to do whatever you really want to do. Do it away from your normal place or go to a hotel or park for the day. Make sure you actually know what you would do and have already developed the interests... See what happens, journal, record it somehow and begin to create of vision of what you actually enjoy doing. Then put together a routine where you do it daily for a few minutes at least.
When you find yourself, commit to never losing “YOU” again. You’ve had moments where you’ve reached a level of understanding, physical, mental, spiritual fitness and you feel like you’re at a good place. Commit to not losing that place. It’s very easy to do ”cheat days”, and lose the progress you’ve made. If you’re an addictive personality type it’s even more precarious. Figure out how to program kpis (key performance indicators) that set off the alarm that you’re returning to old, poor ways. Take the steps when you see the slide and course correct, get back, retain your good place.
Learn Balance. Certain issues: eating, spending need to be addressed differently than: alcohol, pornography, integrity/lying...The latter need to be eliminated the former require a balanced and positive attitude rather than relying on old binging behavior. Take the challenge of balance to bring you to a new place. This ”balance” will begin to affect other parts of your life and bring an easier, more satisfying way to interact with yourself, your demons, others and the circumstances of your life.
Focus on one goal today. Pick something important to you, pick something that relieves stress for you (finishing taxes, sales report, home repair, hobby skill...) and do it, check it off the list. Making progress will increase your sense of satisfaction, enthusiasm, de-stressing, forward movement, personal power, self-confidence...you name it.
Life is precious and fragile...hug your loved ones, send greetings, connect with the important people today. Sudden health issues remind us of our mortality and the mortality of those we love. It reminds us of what counts. Say what you need to say, do something you need to do while you can. You don’t get many bites of the apple when things happen. Listen to your intuition...it’s trying to guide you to right action in the moment.
I’M NOT GOING BACK...!!! So you’ve made progress with: your weight, health, finances, you’re debt-free, you have a relationship, your life is improving in important ways, your work is better than before, YOU are better than before. So make the decision that YOU WON’T GO BACK to the negative habits that brought you down before. You may need to tell yourself of your commitment daily, hourly...often but draw the line in the sand and decide where your guardrails are and respect your limitations that keep you in a healthy space. ”Don’t go back, you can never go back”...
Protect your positive attitude. Avoid people who are negative...they will only bring you down. Participating in their negativity only harms your peace, your attitude, your life...shut it down and don’t participate in it. This avoidance can be very difficult if the people are relatives/loved ones who need your help and support. You need to remain positive in order to be helpful to them.
Your challenge brings the necessary step of growth that you’ve been avoiding. So, you have a setback...the lesson/next step/required fix will bring you to the next level. Feel the emotion for whatever period you need then...Detach yourself from the emotion and get busy with the fix/next step. The Universe is working for your good, even if you’ve done stupid things that you regret or wouldn’t want to repeat. Take your responsibility, take the consequences then get busy with the fix, right thing to do and next step...
Have a major challenge today? Find out the good in the challenge and make it good. Unexpected taxes, car accident, spouse issues, kids' issues... Take Clement Stone’s attitude by declaring ”that’s good” and then find out what’s good about it. Maybe you need to finally start a business to deal with your income and expenses, maybe you need to change your spending habits and get out of debt forever, maybe you need to change how you relate with your spouse/children and learn how to listen and support them... Take the challenge as a gift and make it a gift by changing yourself.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If you have a routine, diet plan, mental plan, work routine, passion routine that works...stick with it. There’s nothing wrong with trying to improve a good thing BUT if you find you’ve improved it to the point that it no longer works...time to go back to basics and reset.
Get organized and execute. Pick your important task, figure out what you need to do and put it in an organized plan and execute the part you understand. The rest will become clear once you do what you know to do. Get started, work, do the work, and implement what you understand.
Feed your Enthusiasm! Find what really excites you and feed it. Get your high from what’s within you rather than external circumstances. It may take some journaling, reflection, trusted people’s advice, your history...but FIND IT! Try things on for size and see what works for you...This is a fun game and will accelerate your progress towards what you’re enthusiastic about.
Your daily task is to make people feel better about themselves because they’ve interacted with you. As Maya Angelo said...”At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” Be the person that makes others feel better about themselves...Learn how to do it, practice with your loved ones daily.
Go for it, you can always say no if it’s not right. Many times we just don’t even try...out of fear, doubt, uncertainty...We talk ourselves out of opportunities before we really know what it could be. Don’t be afraid to learn from situations and watch things play out. Most opportunities have room for negotiation. If it’s not exactly right a customer/employer...may want to make exceptions to have you on board. Take the risk, you can always say no.
Follow your Curiosity. What interests you? What puzzles you? Take that thing/issue/question and make it into a project that you can produce, follow, read about, learn about, teach, grow from. Realize that what you need, what you should be doing...is all right in front of you. Take the time to calm yourself, see it and act upon it. The journey you take will be an adventure of learning and growth that is unique to you. Make sure to let it grow in secrecy until you gain the strength to share with safe people who will help you nurture your precious seed.
You can only control what goes out of your mouth and what you put in your mouth...take back control, get rid of the negativity, poison, junk food. Speaking negative stuff just hurts you. Eating junk food just hurts you. STOP. If your partner, does it...don’t participate or use it as an excuse for doing it. Choose a different path, choose a different perspective, choose to write a different story and live it. Commit to your new path and don’t waver in your sticking to it. Sooner or later those around you will realize that you don’t participate, and they’ll stop telling you the stuff...it’s no longer fun. You may need to go through a period of listening to it...gird up your loins and tough it out.
Choose an important skill you want to learn and dedicate 15 minutes every day to achieving it. Focus is the only way to make progress. Enthusiasm is what sustains you in the attainment of your goal. Try focusing on some task that you want to master and see if your enthusiasm engages, and you find yourself losing time as you work on it. The engagement of enthusiasm and ”Flow” is what confirms that you actually want to master it...watch for the Flow and Just Do It.
Write your own spiritual book of how you see things. When you read the sacred texts, you realize that there’s a lot that doesn’t make sense and/or doesn’t apply to today’s world. Rather than throwing it all out...write your own. Take what’s meaningful to you today and benefit from it. Don’t let some inerrant idea keep you from it or needing to buy into all of it. You’ll find a lot of variety of perspectives in the Bible and every other holy book. Write your own from a perspective of what makes sense to you today.
Reach into your History to rediscover your passion and do something with it. We often overthink our desire to ”find our purpose.” Most likely you’ve had this information from when you were young. Look back at what excited you in the past and test it to see if you still have the passion and want to move it forward. Look at what you’ve let go because it wasn’t practical and do it!
Be ready for the Surprise! Opportunities for growth, a new job, a new relationship, a new account...seem to come out of nowhere. Learn to live in active anticipation of the ”Surprise” and let it give you hope and increase your faith. Remember past events, provisions, surprises and choose to dwell there. It’s a wonderful combination of working like it all depends on you and resting in knowing that it all depends on a higher power...It’s the wonderful enigma, contradiction that is our life.
Worry is a Waste of Time. Most of the things we’ve worried about are now difficult to remember. In the moment these things appeared to be: disaster, tragedy, unthinkable, scary... Now, with a little distance, you can’t even remember them. Take a perspective moment and look at your current situation and realize that it’s really just an illusion and you need to focus on solutions rather than worry. A quick strategy that works – DO SOMETHING YOU NEED TO DO.
You already have the resources and you already know what to do. Take a moment, imagine a friend has called with a situation/issue similar to yours. What’s your advice? Most likely you have a very well developed answer for them. You may even have a criticism for people like them who: are their own worst enemy, are cheating the system, are lazy, are not seeing what’s in front of them, should just try things... Take your own advice, you know what to do. Even if you don’t act as if you do and try that...what’s the worst that can happen? It doesn’t work and you need to course correct and try something different. At the very least you will have learned something that doesn’t work (ala Thomas Edison and the light bulb).
Negativity is poison...don’t drink it. It’s incredibly easy to fall into the ”reality negativity” of our present age, world situation, family situation, friendship situation, work situation, children situation, neighbor situation...you name it. The only person who really suffers from dwelling on this is YOU. Choose a different thought, a different story, a different life, a different situation. It’s all false anyways so choose a situation you want rather than what makes you mad/upset/angry/sleepless/worrying...
Make a plan, execute a plan, knock out a goal. You know what you need to do to accomplish your goals. Prove it to yourself by actually making your plan, implementing it and successfully achieving a goal that you know is important to you. This forward movement will bring other advances and you’ll be more motivated than ever before...Give it a try and ”Just Do It!”
“Stop the madness!” If you find yourself feeding your addictions more than you’re feeding your mouth...take drastic measures and get help! A good 12 step program, a good friend partner, taking away the temptation, adopting a diet/exercise program, following a program online, going to a faith center of your choosing or a combination of the above. Get help, take it seriously, make the changes you need to make.
February 2022
Crisis helps clarify the lessons you need to finally learn... Once you learn what your crisis is revealing you’ll see the break in the clouds and sunshine showing you the way forward. Lessons avoided will continually return until you address them. ”People change, just not very much” is true because we all refuse to learn our lessons and move forward. We all think things will remain the same and get better without our need to make uncomfortable, challenging changes. This is a complete fallacy! You need to make changes to get to the next level. ”What brought you here, will NOT bring you there,” is very true. Look for the new YOU that needs to come to the scene to make changes and make progress and get you to the ”There” you want to get to.
Believe in your higher good. When you feel yourself in the grip of panic...take a step back, get some perspective, breathe, relax, recoup. Don’t make decisions from a place of panic. Make decisions from a place of confidence, faith, belief in your higher good, trust and sober, wise thinking. Make a realistic evaluation of where you’re at and what your possibilities are.
“Drop the Blade!” When you’re underwater, have hoarded a bunch of things you don’t use, have never used, you’re living in a fantasy world... Get rid of what you don’t use, don’t need and will never need. Start with the small stuff first and gain some steam/success and slowly move to the big stuff you’re really attached to. Put standards in place to make sure you don’t return to the same behavior and go right back to where you started. Most likely this is one of your life issues to resolve and you’ve been through this process several times. Now’s the time to actually make the progress, learn the lesson and get out of the addictive cycle forever...There is Hope!
Crisis and reversals give you a chance to reevaluate your life as critically as possible. When tough times come, look at how you’re living, look at the advice you give to others and point the flashlight on your own choices, decisions, life. Take a deep breath and decide what’s important and make the changes you need to make. You’ll likely find that you’re dealing with the same issues, lessons for years. Maybe it’s finally time to learn your lessons and get to a better place. If you really have courage, ask your loved one what you need to do...be ready for an honest reply!
Cynicism is easy, finding the positive is the tough and only way. Difficult moments (loss of a job, financial reversals, various crises...) may require a moment of grief then roll up your sleeves and get busy finding solutions. Look at ”solution finding” as a job...dedicate daily activities to move it forward. Expect a medium-term time frame for success...get busy! Keep positive, shrug off the rejections, see it as a game, keep it away from personal attachment and just keep at it until you find something. Keep the situation you have until you’re successful. Take whatever you must in the meantime until you find something that’s better...
Gird up your loins, you’re running to the battle. There are times when you know you’re going into a fight, storm, difficult situation. Normally you don’t have warning and you just find yourself in a mess (either your own or someone else’). In the cases when you know it’s coming and you’re entering a tough one, prepare mentally, spiritually, emotionally. Plan out your strategy, boundaries, triggers...and take care of yourself so you can take care of others if need be or just weather the storm. Your sense of self, what you’ve learned and who you are today will all come to your aid. Stand fast in who you are and the resources you’ve found within yourself and the support people you have...you’ll need it all!
Tell a new story for yourself, your family and those in need. What is prayer but believing and telling a better story. This world situation of negativity, conflict, gossip, complaining is the source of our suffering. Choose to be different. Choose to tell and believe a better story of your life and how it turns out. Negativity is no more real, honest...than a Positive outlook. Look for evidence of the positive story and hold on to it.
Adversity is opportunity to make changes, improvements and start on a new course. The meaning of challenges is often obscured. It’s not to punish but it’s there to mix it up, allow you to make changes and take the next, positive step. It might not be immediately obvious but it’s the Universe’ way of taking you to a new, better place. You’ll recognize it in hindsight, in the meantime, have faith in faith.
When reversals come, it’s time to demonstrate your positive chops and tell a better story! Reversals, disappointments, stress...will come. It’s how you react that counts. Don’t go down the negative road and bring yourself to a lower level. Believe that it’s an indication that something good is coming. Decide to believe that something better is on the way and prepare by being positive.
Identify your growth areas, break it down into doable tasks, get focused, get busy, achieve what’s important to you. Now that you’re in a better place, you’ve had some success, you’re feeling positive...dig deeper and see where the rabbit hole takes you.
Get your mind, spirit, relationships and body in the right place to make the progress you need to make. Realize that success, growth achievement is much easier if you’re in good physical, spiritual, emotional, mental condition. Don’t wait until everything is aligned because that would be procrastination and excuse making...as you grow in these areas your accomplishments will come and encourage you as you progress in your journey.
Silence can be the best strategy. If you’re in a storm, batten down the hatches and wait for the storm to pass. Your silence may be what’s called for. Know who you are and what you’re about. Set boundaries to protect your nature, let the winds blow and don’t participate in something that’s not your fight or issue. Realize that you always have choices. You can decide to not participate in the hurt/drama/anger/hatred/negativity of another. Let them do what they need to do and take the same action for yourself...Take responsibility for your actions, choices and what you tolerate and/or participate in. It doesn’t have to be a certain way...let it flow through without attaching to your soul.
Habit Stack and use your progress to engage new related goal/task areas. When it rains it pours! If you find yourself succeeding at tasks that important to you...celebrate it! Find other related tasks that you can accomplish using the same skills and begin ”Habit Stacking.” Take the good habits, routines, positive thoughts, results and immediately use that momentum to accomplish more and celebrate! The more you stack, the more easily it rolls down hill and the farther you progress.
Identify your ”stress-buster” tasks and move them to the top of your list so you make time for the non-urgent, really important tasks. It’s easy to procrastinate and let small tasks pile up on you and ruin your peace, sleep and life. Even if it’s a big task that’s stressing you, take it in small bites and plow through it. Making time for long-term, important goal tasks is not easy to do but it will propel you forward towards real achievement if you make time for it and let yourself relax into the task and tap your inner wisdom, guidance and intuition.
Focus, take massive action and course correct. Tony Robbins is right! If you’re trying to accomplish something, learn something new, make progress you need to focus on it, take massive action and course correct until you figure it out and get the result you’re looking for. There are so many good resources available online - YouTube, Google Searches, Kindle/iBooks... There’s really no excuse for not finding what you need. Passion is the key to unlocking the power. If you’re enthusiastic about reaching your goal or learning or accomplishing...you’ll do it. It’s also powerful to watch others who are doing what you want to do...you know it can be done! Get busy! Just Do It!
Let People be who they are, let them follow their path, let them learn their lessons, let them ”do it their way”. We all see through our own eyes and know (or think we know) what works for us. The mistake we all make is to think this applies to other people. Unsolicited advice is really annoying, not helpful and often counterproductive. Make sure you have your boundaries and follow your own path and take full responsibility for yourself. Let others do the same. If they want advice give your perspective but don’t push. Try to support the other person in the way that makes sense to them. Silence, listening, and support is really what they’re looking for.
Your Partner can make you or break you. Choose a good partner, they have a lot of power over you and where you’ll go, who you’ll become. Realize, at the same time, that staying with an abusive partner is your decision and you can decide to leave, change the relationship rules, setup boundaries, tend to your own mental health and life journey. Choose wisely, evaluate honestly, make the changes you need to make because your life is 100% your responsibility regardless of your partner.
Limit the negative onslaught of the media. Human nature is attracted to suffering, sensationalism, misfortune, conflict...don’t get sucked up into this false, dangerous drama. There are, of course, real issues of sickness, suffering, sacrifice, injustice that we all encounter. It’s not necessary to look for more of this just because we have a morbid curiosity about it. Focus on the good, positive, and beautiful and let it elevate your mind and spirit. God knows we all need more of this and more people who bring it.
Relieve human suffering? Look first to your own family and loved ones...they may be hiding their suffering. Everyday kindness, listening, patience, love may be all you can give and all they really need. Anonymous generosity and thoughtfulness may be the only way to give. Look for your path and follow it. Do what you can, in the best way you know how...you’ll be able to live with that without regret.
Have Faith in Faith. Believe, Trust, Have Faith...choose to view things through the lenses of Faith and what you see as being the best outcome. Be childlike and let it go without holding on to the fulfillment of your Faith picture. Write it down and burn it. You may be amazed that it will appear in the right timing when you’re ready for it...Be open to being surprised and delighted by this test.
The Universe is in control and it’s not all about you! There are bigger forces in play and you are a small part of it. This perspective allows us to relax, destress, wait, watch, rest and have trust in the process. Your worry, stress, and destructive behavior don’t help and won’t work. Thanks to my spiritual mentor/accountant for reminding me of this important lesson!
Sometimes the best thing to do is NOTHING AT ALL...Wait it out, the situation will change. There are times when the best thing to do is nothing...hold tight, wait, see what develops. Focus on a major passion or life’s goal as a substitute for the current situation. Once the muddy water is stilled through non action and time the issue will be clear and the answer or action will be obvious. Trust the Universe and the process.
Create a workspace that allows you to start creating in 2 minutes or less. You’ll know you have your creative space dialed in if you can get going quickly and easily. What you really need is to create regularly and get in the zone quickly... Eliminate your excuses and procrastination and...your own obstacles to doing the work.
Watch the drama unfold, detach and decide how you want to respond rather than responding in the heat of the moment. When stress, attacks, issues, unexpected setbacks come up (as they will!), step back and decide how you will respond rather than just counter attacking, flying off the handle or getting really angry... There is a better way. Use your wisdom to make decisions rather than heated, emotional reactions. This is a big lesson, you’ll be tested often as you learn it...!
People will change when and if they are ready and not a moment before...same was true for you too! When we see loved ones doing harmful, toxic things we wish they would stop for their own good. All you really can do is not allow it under your roof, not participate, speak if asked, allow them to learn their lessons on their timing. Look to your own harmful/toxic things you allow in your life and change yourself. You can’t be responsible for other people’s issue resolutions...only your own. Get busy making the changes in your own life that you know you need to make. You’re ready for change!
Empty out the bag. We carry so much of other people’s stuff. We need to regularly...daily...empty the bad and let go of what’s not ours. Well-meaning people, family members, partners will regularly share their stuff/drama/critique/helpful suggestions... This is all good as long as you don’t hold on to it and let it become your drama/burden/issue/stuff. Let it flow through, let it pass, let it go, empty the bag every day, preferably before bed.
Take the plank out of your own eye before criticizing others. Self-righteousness is wrong, annoying and counterproductive. It’s very easy to fall into this trap, especially if you’ve made progress in your own life. Take all of that energy, indignation, unsolicited advice and look at yourself for what you need to improve. Work on yourself first, then support others as they ask you for help, advice...most likely they will only need for you to listen. LISTEN! Learn to listen better. If you believe in prayer, pray for them without announcing it to anyone. Keeping all of this a secret is a real test of your own maturity.
Take care of that one special person. ”Make one person happy” is a great song line but an incredible challenge that brings joy. Pick an important person in your life and do what you can today to make them happy, feel loved, feel listened to, feel supported, feel encouraged, feel appreciated... It will bring joy to you and them and you will have learned something important and contributed in a way that only you can! Be smart and look for what’s important to them...not your version of support. Rinse and Repeat!
Celebrate your story! Looking back at your journey with the struggles, joys, heartache, triumph, and current destination can be very empowering. Often, we don’t think we’ve made much progress because our life and issues are too close for perspective. Find some part of your journey that has brought results that you enjoy today and remember, write, see the path you took. Your next steps may be easier to understand with your past perspective. Your need for faith/trust in this waiting period may also be easier to understand and help you persevere and find something positive to do in the meantime between gigs.
January 2022
Take your Night Message into the Day and act on your messages! At a certain point it’s interesting that the messages come in the middle of the night. Take them seriously! Learn to find a good routine to empty your mind and get back to sleep. Schedule your day in the morning to act on your message. The more you act on your intuition, the more they’ll come. The more you act the faster your progress will be and the more miraculous your journey will become. It’s always been a miraculous journey...you may not have noticed. Look for clues and Evidence of Divine Guidance today, expect it, and you’ll find it!
Be secure in uncertainty...the Universe has a plan. Things can change in an instant. If you’re in an uncertain place...thrive in the uncertainty...tell a different story of the clues you see and have faith/hope that you will be in a new and better place soon. A ”Mind-Game"...absolutely. All of life is a ”Mind-Game" and what you believe comes true for you. Choose to believe something cool and wait/expect it to happen or something better. Accept the waiting game as being your time to grow, learn new skills, learn something you’ve been putting off.
Hold your drama far enough away so you can see it for what it is. We often let our dramas take over our emotions, health, sleep... Getting perspective is difficult when you take something personally and let it control you. Try to gain some distance, even if only temporarily, to try and see what’s going on. If you’re fortunate to have a person of trust nearby, bounce it off them. Make sure this person is a trustworthy person who loves you and has your best interest in mind. This distance may only last for a moment, but it will help you deal with your drama.
Pray, Trust, Let Go, Listen, Act... Call on a higher power, God, your higher self, the Universe... Why?! Realize that much of your life is beyond your control and you really don’t know what’s coming next. Learn to leave your issues to someone/something else. Empty your mind of what troubles you and let it go. Take action if there’s something to do and let go if there’s nothing you can do (other than worry and make yourself sick...). Once you’ve let go, have faith that appropriate action or resolution, or the next step will come at the right time and you’ll have what you need to take the next step/action/inaction.
Feel and follow your instincts. If you feel you need to do something, or not do something, take it seriously. If you’re fortunate enough to have an intuitive partner that you can share with...share it and bounce it off them. It will increase your intimacy and help confirm what you’re feeling and doing. Your journey is enriched as it is shared with people you trust, people who love you and have your best interest in mind. Don’t share it with those who don’t share your best interest or who bring you down...
Your greatest adventure can happen right at home with yourself. You don’t need to go on a trip to have an adventure! Develop projects that really move you and take time to push your project forward...that will be an exciting adventure if you let it! These adventures are the best because you can escape to them every day. Take time every day to escape to your adventure and make progress.
Invent an Adventure! Take a mundane or errand or work experience and decide that it will be an adventure. Take something you want to learn and imagine that it will unlock good things for your goals and future quest...Make it interesting, look for the excitement in your normal life...make it a journey worth traveling, even if it’s your normal life...Being alive is the wonder of this experience.
Take time to listen to your partner, friend, child, parent. Intimacy is listening, really listening and then appreciating the person in your life. Spend some time doing that one on one with someone you really care about. Express your appreciation for them and tell them what they mean to you. Apologize for your lack of care/mistakes and celebrate that you’ve gotten to a better place together.
Ask for what you need. Don’t assume your partner knows what you need or understands if you don’t ask. Reading minds is not an effective relationship tool on either side. If you expect your partner to read your mind, you’ll be disappointed. Learn to speak what you need to communicate and have understood. What do you have to lose?
A ”no” is as important and valuable as a ”yes.” When you are rejected or don’t get something you applied for...it just means it wasn’t right...keep going, take your higher goals, have faith, be optimistic. Faith/Trust is what you exercise when you don’t see the next step, when you don’t see anything BUT you know that the Universe is active in bringing the next step to you at the right time.
Friends, Family pass, life is precious, people are precious...remember that when you’re dealing with them today. We often need loss to remind us of how precious and fragile the people are in our lives. We’re hard on them, we’re hard on ourselves and we lose track of the need to be gentle, kind, appreciative, supportive... Life is really about the people, not the things, not the jobs, not the selfish desires...loving people is where it’s at.
De-Stress, it’s all just tasks, problems to be solved, processes to be put in place. Take your stress tasks of the day and look at them dispassionately. Take out the emotion and just figure out the puzzle and think through the issues...use your brain, scheduling, task management and NOT your emotions, fears, procrastination, avoidance. You can do it!!!
Everyone has Issues... The big lie we believe is that other people have it better, easier, have money, have no problems, no issues, perfect families, perfect homes, perfect futures, perfect retirements... It simply is NOT so. Why is it important to realize this?? Because we so often limit ourselves, beat ourselves up, feel bad, feel a victim, feel powerless, feel down about what you can achieve because YOU BELIEVE THIS NONSENSE... Get over it, realize that everyone has something and get back to taking responsibility for your reaction to your issues and your plans/actions to deal with them effectively and get to another place; a place of self-forgiveness, of self-love, of correct vision and making progress in your own life and being a happy, responsible, generous person.
Feed your mind first thing in the morning with positive, spiritual, motivational nourishment. Your morning routine will set the tone for the day. Choose what you focus on early and see the positive result. Choose to learn from your most important sources, take notes, benefit from the cleaning and shoring up of the mind that it provides.
Take a Snow Day, regroup, focus on something you love and someone you love... It’s supposed to snow a lot today in the South and everyone is anxious and excited about it. Monday is MLK holiday and everyone is off...3 day weekend!! Yay! We bought boots for our special needs son and snow pants...he’s excited as if it’s Christmas morning... Take a day like this (or make one up) to make a soup, stew, hot chocolate...read, watch a movie, put on your pajamas or a comfortable outfit, chop some wood, start a fire, snuggle with someone you love, hug your kids, be kind to you dog/cat/pet... Take a ”mental health day” and forget about everything and focus on the good in your life. Give yourself permission to minister to and be ministered by the love people in your life.
The Obstacle is the Way... You’re going to have issues that are limitations that are non-negotiable. You can fight, complain...or you can find a way to turn it into a positive. This often takes real creativity but it’s part of the journey we’re all on. You have sicknesses in the family (or yourself), you’re quarantined, your child requires that you sit with them, you have a physical limitation...find where the water is flowing and turn your boat in that direction. Develop routines and projects that you can accomplish with a minimum of space...if there ever was a time to do this, it’s now! At the very least, learn how to meditate and be quiet and accept an unwanted sabbatical.
Everyone is weird...so are you! The particular-ness of each person is often troubling but it’s reality. What this means is that you need to stick to your agenda and keep it private. Others will most likely not understand and may even oppose it/you because they see their own agenda and yours may conflict or be too much for them. If you find someone you trust and can share with, you’re fortunate, nurture that person and that relationship. Accept others’ weaknesses...we’re all Special Needs...including you/me!
Get back on the horse and ride! You’ll need to course correct often so just shake it off and start again. It’s like flying a plane where you’re constantly course correcting as you move towards your goals. Weight loss is an up and down fluctuation so keep at it and take the daily challenge of eating well and learning from your successes and setbacks...!!!
Celebrate your progress and document it! When you’re making progress, write it down and celebrate it. Your own recognition will spur you on to more success and achievement and goal realization and life purpose progression. You have everything you need inside yourself to move forward. You have it all and need to be your own cheerleader. The inner motivation is the most powerful and important.
Watch Drama and choose to participate or not. Drama happens at home, work, in the neighborhood, in the country, state, world. Whether you choose to participate is up to you. Choose wisely and make sure that you can make a difference. You may have no choice but to participate...watch for the moment that it’s no longer necessary and let go. Stress due to drama can be very negative. Sometimes it’s motivating and helpful like a good deadline that gets you started. Try to make as many ”good deadlines” as you can and avoid the false ones.
Make Progress, Declutter, Focus, Make More Progress. Which comes first – preparation then achievement? Do I runaway because I’m afraid or am I afraid because I’m running away? Experiment with just doing it and then watch for results and progress and then look for more after preparing... It’s a mystery similar to Providence-Free Will. These two sides of the coin are somehow connected... Try it and see. The message is clear, don’t wait until you’re ready to do something you care about. Do whatever you can to prepare and focus to make your efforts effective. Do both!
Listen, really listen. It’s so difficult to really listen to someone and focus attention on them and bathe them in your respect. If you do, they’ll notice and feel refreshed by your attention, listening, respect and love. Giving advice is really irritating in most cases and telling stories about yourself is also irritating...let it go!
Focus on making people feel good about themselves. How you make people feel will be what they remember most about you. It’s so easy to be negative. Find a way to be positive with people as often as you can. Catch them doing something good and make note of it to them, peers, bosses, family members... It will make a difference for them and for you. Learn to appreciate people.
Feed your mind daily with what you consider spiritual. Make your first input be spiritual and write what’s on your mind and in your heart. Learn to listen, learn to document and benefit from the early wisdom that’s available every day. You’ll benefit from it all day long and far into the future. Pass this wisdom on to your friends, kids, family...if they ask.
Expect big things! Decide to write a story that contains ”big things” however you define them for you and your family. Expect it, believe in it, write it out, let it go and watch it happen. Be ready for the exciting twists and turns and accompany a big vision and go with the flow, turn your boats downstream and watch where the current of your life/spirit/destiny/purpose takes you. Be thankful for it. There are no mistakes only stepping stones and learning experiences...Go for it! Just do it!
Do your routine even if you have deadlines, stress and overdue tasks. You really need your routine to ground you, to move you forward and maintain your focus on the important things. Don’t let it slide! Turn off the world and do it. You’ll be more prepared to do great work if you keep your routine.
Keep picking yourself up. So you made a commitment and then blew it...welcome to a very large club. Try to learn from the mistake and pick yourself up and improve, change, try something new and start over again. Breaking through habits, your compulsions, your addictions, other people’s influence, your excuses...is a business that requires patience, steadfastness, commitment, passion... just begin again. Every day is a new beginning, every moment is a new beginning. Start over, do something new, you can change at any moment...try it! Don’t give up, just begin again, try something different, new or just repeat what should work.
Eliminate the negative shows. We delight and are intrigued by the drama of other people’s misfortune. Learn to lose this obsession by eliminating the ”true crime” stories of murder, deception, and the horrible that is so intriguing. Substitute the ugly with the beautiful. Read a book, meditate, watch an uplifting show, study a biography, learn a new instrument, memorize a poem....
Work with people you like. Life is short and it’s easy to make compromises because you think you must. Make sure you work with people you like and who feed you on your journey. Work isn’t suffering, it’s part of your larger plan. Look for situations and people that feed you and move you forward in your purpose for being on the planet.
New Year, new thoughts, new goals, new life, create your life!!! Happy New Year and welcome to an important chapter of growth, abundance, fun, creativity, love, health, wealth, music, friends... Write your life without fear and imagine the best you possibly can and then focus on that. Let the thoughts slide and choose to be entertained by them and not entertain them.
Happy New Year 2022!
Pick a day to update your practice. The first of the year is a great time to reflect on your practice and update it with new, positive things to try. Make sure to keep what works, reflect on your progress. If you’re fortunate to have maintained a practice for a long time, it will be easier to update and improve for the next step. Remember, what got you here will not get you to your next step...find that update to your practice that gets you to the next step...it’s right in front of you.
December 2021
If you find something that works...stick with it. Sometimes the desire for growth, change and flexibility causes us to look for the next best thing when it could be what you’re doing right now. If it’s working, don’t fix it but keep with it and see where it will lead.
Rest in the midst of change, whirlwind, other people’s drama and your inner turbulence. Quieting your mind and spirit in the midst of change is not easy. There’s a reason for the Eye of the Hurricane...it’s nature’s example of how we can live if we make it a priority. Just notice the noise and let it roll. Don’t ”entertain your thoughts”, be entertained by your thoughts. Once you realize the fantasy of the whole affair, it will become clearer for you.
Be ”comfortable in your own skin.” Cultivate the joy/serenity of being comfortable with who you are and not concerned about being someone you’re not. Try applying for a job you don’t care about and interview by presenting the ”real” you. Do things and be with people who accept the real you and let it all hang out. The best gift you can give the world, your partner, your family, your relatives, your colleagues, your customers, your employers, your employees...is YOU. Integrity is really about being you in all of your life situations.
Let go of old wrongs...holding on only hurts you! You’ve got people and situations that have done you wrong...we all do. Decide to cut the cord on those impediments that only weigh you down. Make a decision to forgive all of this garbage for your own good!!!
Make Room for the New! Time to get rid of the clutter, what’s not being used, what’s not needed and only taking up space...give it away, drop the Blade. You’ll need more room for the New Year, New Period, New Job, New Relationship, because it will be a big, abundant, exciting moment/period/year.
The Days are lengthening, Spring is coming, the Winter will pass... I love Winter Solstice because it’s the promise of new life and provides strength for the Winter. The ups and downs of life and the seasons are like our thoughts...they come and go. Enjoy the ride, the highs and the lows. You’re learning, experiencing, growing and moving forward...no matter what it seems.
Be there to lighten the load for the most important person in your life...make it a point...especially when they need it most. ”Make one person happy...” is a great song and a great thing to achieve. If you’re able to be there when that person needs you most and give them the support they need in the way they want...you’ve really done it.
Accept Gifts Graciously. If you’re a giver, you’re probably not a good receiver. Let your loved ones give to you and be generous with them...take the moment to give and enjoy it, receive and enjoy it. Make this a regular activity! The new seasons, holidays, recovering from a sickness, a job success, a relationship success, a birthday...take them all as reasons to give, receive and be happy.
Speak your truth with respect but speak it when you need to. Employers, friends, partners, family all feel entitled to say their peace/piece every now and then. When appropriate, say yours! Say it with respect and not in anger but say it. It doesn’t help anyone to let people walk over you, or worse, wipe their dirty boots on you.
Listen to your body! It’s trying to take care of you and put you in a good place. The mind-body connection is mysterious and sometimes it comes in strong to divert the path to something better. If you’re tired, rest, if you’re sick, rest, if you’re stressed, rest. Take time for quiet, silence, rest, sleep... Let the active mind do it’s thing, watch it, be entertained by it but don’t entertain it!
Your Life can change in a Day... Some events are life changing and you seldom realize it until later. Sometimes it’s MUCH later. Appreciate where you are today...you’re in the perfect spot even though you can always think of improvements. Let it sink in and look forward to the life changing events the Universe has for you today...Relax and let it happen!
The Universe is moving. You’re always increasing or decreasing. There is no static moment. Try to become aware of the movement of the Universe today. It’s not easy to see and it’s often deceptive... You believe things are moving in a certain direction and they/you/It pivots. Remain flexible, keep your cool, watch it unfold with patience and grace...The Change is a comin’, The Times They are a Changin’!!
It’s good to have long term friends who know you well and love you. Be that same person for your group of peeps. They need it too! Enjoy the growth and development of your long term friends, relatives, partner, children. We’re all careening on a spinning ball towards something...we know not what! Enjoy the ride!
Early to Bed, Early to Rise. It really is refreshing to get up early and start the day with a bang. The early energy is something special. I feel energized, hopeful and positive about today and what’s coming. This will be a Christmas to celebrate...the beginning of our retirement plan and abundance continuation!
Have Faith in Faith. This phrase irritated me for a long time. It seemed so wishy-washy and non descript. But with age and time I find myself believing without necessarily knowing why or what in some cases. I find my life to be a faith walk and I’m enjoying it more and more as I let go to it and say yes to what the Universe brings me.
As the seasons change so will the seasons of your life. If you’re in a productive mode – get busy! If you’re in a resting/reflective mode – give yourself the space to do that...See where your life and the Universe is leading you and follow it. You’ll know by your feelings and your intuition...develop it, folllow it, trust it... your next step is coming but you need to finish this one.
The Wonder of Not Knowing. You lost your job, you have an important job interview, you have a business trip, you have a party with neighbors...you really don’t know what will happen or how it will go... BE EXCITED AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS...the Universe has exciting things for you to do, experience and enjoy. Watch it happen, get engaged, follow your inner knowing and LET GO...LET IT HAPPEN. Then, watch what happens and be thankful for it.
What the world needs now, is Love – Sweet – Love. A Great song and a great truth. The love and connection with others is what brings joy and survival to our lives. The lack of it is what we’re compensating for and often getting ourselves in trouble.
We’re all just older versions of our younger selves... It’s amazing how little we change over time. What interested us as kids, high school students, young adults still is interesting today. When you connect with old friends you find the same things floating around in conversation, and thoughts. It’s also interesting to see how we grow and develop these interests over time. Life is an experience and growth...share that with someone who knew you when...
Make Progress towards your key goals today. You know what you need to do, what’s most important and that you need to get busy. Shed the procrastination, excuses and laziness...Just Do It! Just Do It Today!
Follow your own standards, others don’t count. Your measure of yourself should be only based on you. It’s good to have mentors, examples of achievement but your own journey is the most important. The worst place to be is chasing someone else’ version of success, wealth, achievement and losing your own.
“All the World’s a Stage”...we’re all just really actors in a play. Let this sink in. We take ourselves, our circumstances, other people, other people’s dramas, our dramas, our tragedies, our history, our future...so seriously. We’re acting, playing a part. If you don’t like what you’re living, pick a different role, a different part and play it. Stop taking yourself, your drama, your work & work drama...so very seriously. Yes, there are real things, real challenges but they are not nearly as many as you may think. Step back and see the play, make decisions once you’ve understood this. It may take a very long time before this makes sense... Remember it when your moment comes and you’re ready for it.
Be o.k. with doing one thing well with attention, make sure it captures your enthusiasm and dig deep. Multi-tasking is practically a virtue these days, IT’S NOT! Try doing one thing you’ve been putting off or really want to master...make serious progress on ONE THING and see how you feel and how you propel yourself forward.
Focus on your real interest and real talent. It’s easy to get caught up in your head and imagine the cool things you can do with technology and then not do it. Are you a player? play. Are you a technology geek...be that.
Find a faith community. Find a place to talk about faith and your journey. It does NOT have to be a church or institution. It very well will be your partner, neighbors, family, friends... But find it and nurture it and be nurtured by it. If it becomes a negative, let it go and find a better one...but find one!
Get something done today in one area. Focus is the key to accomplishing anything. The difficulty with modern life is that we have so much at our fingertips. Ignore it all, take one thing and learn it...You know what that one thing is...go giterdone!
Find strength, fun from your peer group. If you’re fortunate enough to have a good peer group, friends, neighbors, relatives, family, colleagues, take comfort, strength and enjoyment from the people that are in your life.
Follow what ignites your passion. What do you want to do with your life? Look at what gets you enthused, excited, passionate...Do that! If what you do is not a “passion igniter” do something else. Your time is your life and don’t waste either.
Living with uncertainty. You’ve put yourself out there, people are interested, you’re receiving feedback, you don’t know what will stick, you don’t know how it will all turn out... It’s a reminder that YOU’RE NOT IN CONTROL! The Universe has a plan and a journey for you. It may not be what you think it will be. There are no failures or mistakes, only lessons, experiences and signs that lead you to the next step. Sit back and watch where it goes! This is an important moment to let sink in. Get quiet and let it happen. You’ll know what to do, say, respond, decide correctly at the perfect moment. You’ll receive the guidance you need at the right moment. You can’t hurry it, it will happen at the right time. You may receive important signs and information from unexpected places and people...that’s the fun of it! Relax! It’s always been this way behind the scenes.
Break it down to small steps and put one foot in front of the other. It’s easy to get stuck and stop your progress. Remember the fundamentals and start from the beginning to get restarted and let the passion take control and guide you. Turn off all of your distractions and see what you come up with.
Figure out what works for you in this period of your life. It’s important that you take responsibility for your life and figure out how to manage YOU for optimal results. Diet, exercise, positive focus on important tasks, celebration of accomplishment...It’s your job to figure out YOU...don’t expect someone else and/or your environment to do this for you...take control and responsibility for your life and your own growth/training. GROW UP!!!
Focus on the doing (writing, playing, publishing, painting...) rather than the tinkering-spending-focusing on secondary/related tasks. If you think that doing tasks that are related to your goal is doing your goal...you’re deluding yourself. It’s a common trap but it’s a trap and will keep you frustrated and not doing your real “thing”. Do the real thing first and the rest later, if at all. Don’t be afraid to do the work and publish it regardless of whether you think it’s good enough or not. Just do it!
Do a mini “Hiit” for your major goal today. Spend a concentrated hour really focusing on a major goal activity today. Get jazzed by the progress and see that you can do it! Overwhelm and lack of focus are major issues for many creatives... start small and do something important today! You’ll feel empowered and make more progress tomorrow.
It’s easy to jump into the negative/gossip/complaining bag... It’s important to keep away from this “bag”. Simple conversation can quickly and easily degenerate into gossiping, complaining, negativity...in an effort to connect with people. It’s a cheap fix. Look for better ways to connect, more positive, focus on the good and bringing out the good in people.
Start a mini project and focus on actually doing the work and making progress for the next 30 days. If it’s the Christmas season...play, write, read, create using the Christmas resources or Hanukkah, Kwanza, Winter Solstice or anything else that’s meaning for you in this season. The seasonaility will make it meaningful and bring you to places you haven’t been and need to go...people will also connect with you in a new way...publish it!!
November 2021
Change it up, take a break from your routine and try something new! It’s good and important to have routines. It’s also good to periodically take a break from them and see how you feel. See if you need to make changes to your routine and add something or subtract something. Try a new discipline for 30 days and see how it fits.
Allow yourself time to celebrate! Allow downtime. Our fast paced, busy, full life often keeps us from letting go and being down. Take the time off, read, write, play, enjoy a walk and time with family. You deserve it!
Find jobs, activities, people, causes that move you and give you enthusiasm. It’s easy to settle for what you think you must do rather than what you want to do. Look for a new job when you have a job and don’t need it...you may find something you’re really excited about with people you enjoy. If a person/family is suffering and it touches you...give to them, see how your willingness to help will be important to someone and good for you. If you have people you like...give them more attention and find a way to spend time with them.
Give yourself permission to create and do the work of your passion. It’s not easy to let yourself do your passion work. We feel obligated to do things in many ways and use that obligation as a passion avoider. This can go for a lot of things from sex to creating to exercising...you know your priorities by what you actually do. Give yourself a chance to prove your passion to yourself. Don’t be afraid of it...let it happen and capture your attention, joy, excitement, thrill of being alive for a purpose!
Unsolicited advice is unwanted and irritating advice...let it go! If someone is not asking for your advice don’t volunteer it. Think of the unsolicited advice you received that made you feel bad, that you weren’t ready for, that was really just being mean. Don’t do that to someone else. In many cases, even if they ask for it, they don’t want it. Just be supportive, non judgemental and realize that people learn their lessons when they’re ready for it. Don’t participate in their negativity either, it will burn you rather than support them...
Remember why you get excited about your passion (guitar playing...).Often we get wrapped up in websites, contacting fans, customers... and forget to do the things that we’re passionate about. Same with relationships...why did you fall for that person! Take time to reignite, reconnect and look back as well as forward to the things that excite you and activate your enthusiasm.
Negative gossip needs to go. Sometimes you think you’re being supportive of someone by participating, initiating or just plain spewing negative gossip and opinions about people. This toxicity is not helpful, not supportive and burns your soul and the soul of who’s listening. Let it go! Do not participate, be silent and let the moment pass. The fire will die down if the gas is not put on it.
The time you waste for them, makes a friend a friend. Taking time out to speak/listen with a friend, wife, son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister is showing love. Listening to them tell their story is gold. Find a way to do this. If someone is opening up...take the time to listen and encourage the storyteller.
A way through will become clear, let the muddy water settle. Is the next step unclear? Rest, relax, calm your mind, let the dust settle...the way forward will become clear in silence, peace, calm and in an empty mind. Learn to let your thoughts settle and the way will become clear.
Update your morning routine. Make sure that you include your personal priority in your morning routine. Even if it’s a short period of time you dedicate to it...DO IT! It’s often very easy to let go of your most important and enjoyable priorities because the work/personal growth issues take first place... Make sure your “fun” routine is included, it will inspire you, give you motivation and energy. This extra flavor will transform your routine.
Intimacy Needs are important! In all of our striving to improve, succeed, build wealth, raise kids, pay bills, deal with work stress...Don’t forget that the most important thing is to build a LIFE! Life priorities are different: Love – relationships – Health – body/minds/spirit/sexual life. I separate sexual life because it’s surprisingly easy to neglect your sex life... DON’T. When you take it seriously, you’ll know why.
There are no accidents, just Universe messages, direction, course correction, exciting opportunities, moments for reflection, growth. Sometimes/oftimes it feels like we’re in a bumper car ride...running into obstacles, other people, guard rails, unexpected bumps...it’s all there for you to experience and move on to better things. Sometimes a better thing is achieved from taking a step back (in pay, in fortunes, in relationships, tragedies, difficulties...). Take it all as scenery on your journey and move forward...the next step will come up sooner and more clearly than you can imagine.
The Universe is in control and has a plan for you, contributions for you to make, and lessons for you to learn. Many times it feels like we’re in a bumper car ride...banging into people, rails and going in circles. This is just an impression, there’s something much bigger going on that you cannot see. Trust that there’s a plan and follow the light you have until the next sign becomes clear. Even misunderstandings, bad people, tough situations... can lead us to the proper place, there are no accidents or “failures.”
The Universe brings obstacles and challenges to bring new opportunities for growth and abundance. When you experience resistance, look for the window that’s opening for you and follow your bliss. Just because a company or person doesn’t want to help or support you is not a reason for anger, just look for the opening that is coming and start preparing.
Decide to live at a higher level. We often get caught up in the mire of daily struggles and worldwide ugliness. I’m sure that’s all true but it’s a decision to keep your head there or seek a higher level of living. Choose the higher level. If there is anything beautiful, kind, righteous, wise, wonderful...think on those things and see what it brings to you.
Find your power through your ability to make significant change in your life. By discovering how to make changes you gain confidence that you can learn anything you need or want to and you can change your world from inside you rather than being under the slavery of external situations and people.
Stay on the Wagon! Any big change will bring challenges to stop and backslide...find a way to avoid this at all costs. The longer you keep at it, the better the results. Write down your progress, ask for support and move forward!
Focus on making the people around you feel good about themselves today. No matter where you are and who you’re with, take time to notice, listen, compliment and appreciate the people around you. They need it, you need to give it, the world needs more people who seek to do it. Now get busy.
Where/When it rains, it pours... When you’re feeling lucky, do the difficult things you’re avoiding because you’ll be successful. If something is working...do more of it! Get momentum going in your life and double down on it. Take note of your own inner knowing and learn from yourself and your own experience. There were and are things that you do that work for you. Take it seriously and follow it down the rabbit hole...it may lead you to great things.
Enjoy the moment and the opportunities and people in your life...the current moment is the gift. We’re always looking forward to more, better, goals, the paycheck, graduating, completing... This “forward looking” keeps us in a wanting state. We need to stop regularly to realize that we already are here. Life circulates on itself...you’ll always find yourself at the same place until you realize that its perfect and whole, just like you.
Expect the unexpected. So much of our life is unplanned, comes by “accident” and changes everything like a game of chess that is bummed by your 3 year old and you reset. Let’s see what the Universe has in mind today.
Figure out your best work rhythm and make sure your priorities are done during that window. We all have times that we are most productive. You’re either a morning or an evening person most likely. You may have family issues and rhythms that are set. Use your knowledge of this and try putting your most important project/priority first and see what you get done. Cut out the procrastination times, TV watching...and crowd it out with high priority/joyful productivity. See where it goes!
Learn your program slowly and deeply, don’t take shortcuts. Pick your most important skill and learn it top to bottom, slowly all the way. This will change everything for you in the long, short and medium term. It’s tedious but really important. There are more resources now with YouTube than ever. Don’t forget to actually read the manual, front to back.
Let the Night be for sleep and not for stewing over issues that can’t be resolved at night. The older we get and the more stressful our job is, the more difficult it is to sleep without worrying.
Do what you do in secret – tell no one. There is power in silence, in making progress in secret, in allowing people to notice your transformation rather than proclaiming it. It’s a humility issue, it’s a “don’t cast your pearls before swine” issue, it’s a “don’t jinx it” issue...pick your issue but try silence and a simple answer when you’re asked about it. Realize that others may be curious but not ready for the steps you took to accomplish your transformation. People who understand will be drawn to you...let is unfold and don’t preach...nothing worse than unsolicited advice from a successful person (whatever that means!).
Deepen your knowledge of one thing today. We all have too many options and can easily lose focus. Choose something interesting/important/urgent/long-term and get deeper into it today. Eventually you’ll be able to do important things with that tool and grow from learning it.
Spending-Investment-Debt are major life issues that can affect how you make choices. Money, and life investment of time have a major impact on how our lives play out. If you put yourself under the gun by overextending yourself it affects your freedom to follow your path. Make a plan to get out from under the debt and invest your time in what really matters. Invest your time today in something that matters...get into practice now!
Integrity, the Final Frontier... The final goal really is having Integrity, being who you are, addressing Life as it comes and seeing where your Deeper Self/Universe is leading you to experience and grow. This is the bigger picture. What is Integrity...that’s the definition point that grows with awareness. Initially it may be just not lying/cheating/stealing. Then it goes much deeper. This is the bigger well to draw from. The Universe is bringing you to this point...look in it, it’s what you’ve been avoiding and where you want to be at the same time. Surrender is there, peace is there, real personhood is there.
Focus on ”Stressbuster” activities that will free up your mind. ”Eat the Frog” first and your day will work better for you. Prioritization and focus are super important for the flighty among us!
Roll with the changes! Things develop, ideas and directions change...go with the flow and watch the Universe develop opportunities for growth without your contribution...Just do it and see where it all takes you!
Go with the flow, point your boat downstream. The universe wants you to succeed and will double the efforts when you jump in and commit. The effortlessness is key. You’ll still have many issues to address in areas of your life but you’ll have the confidence that you can do it, because you can!
October 2021
Sometimes Silence is the best tact to take. You can’t let momentary anger or frustration make you lash out at someone...chill, let it pass. You’ll regret an angry comment or response to someone. If you just stay silent, you’ll see the foolishness of the person, their comment and an angry response from you. There’s no winning in these situations...let it pass and you win.
Watch for clues, synchronicities, and evidence that the Universe is moving you forward. You’ll have serendipities, divine appointments with people who will show you the way, confirm your path, give you the next piece of the puzzle. You’ll also do the same for them in their journey. Look for it, go with it, put yourself in the flow and point your boat downstream!
Break your tasks into smaller units so you can get started. Sometimes the tasks are just too big or there’s too much resistance. Fool yourself and make it a very small task. You’ll get started and find that even the hard tasks are not that bad...God forbid you may even enjoy it!
Stick to your guns. It’s not easy to take a different path and not succumb to peer pressure...Don’t do it! Believe in yourself and what you’re doing. Do it for yourself not for others.
Do your show, whatever it is. Do what gives you the juice that enlivens your life. Don’t worry about the negative beliefs, as you work you’ll gain the necessary confidence, guidance and ability to success/move forward.
Kindness and Patience apply in your interactions with others AND WITH YOURSELF! It’s easy to beat yourself up as you make ”three steps forward and two steps back”... You need to pick yourself up and hit it again and pick away at your mountain. Overcoming addictions, compulsions, laziness... is not a simple task. You can do it, keep at it, the stakes are high, the reward is great.
Your Life Can Change on a Dime! Be open to new opportunities and unexpected events. A new job, relationship, growth opportunity could come out of nowhere and things change for the better in an instant. Thinking that your life will never change keeps you in that state. Be open for the new and be ready when it happens...Just do it!
Address Your Demons and liberate yourself, start today. If you’re like me, you know your issues. They’ve been with you for a long time. Make today, the day that you eliminate at least one of them. Pick the low hanging fruit or the one that will mean the most and act as if you don’t have it today. Change can happen in a moment if you’re ready. Believe that you’re ready and when you make the change you’ll feel the power of it and want to continue...Give it a shot today. Figure out what a perfect day would be and get started.
If you experience resistance, take a step back, evaluate if it requires tenacity or letting go and move on. Sometimes we spend time and effort on things that need to be left alone until they either make more sense or are understood as a waste of time. This is especially true of technology where there are OS incompatibilities, bugs...don’t get caught up in trying to ”Push Rope,” let it go and recircle back when the tech has caught up with you.
Take a gig, make it into a project, learn something, move forward, make progress. If you have a gig, no matter how small, make it into something for yourself. By doing so you propel yourself forward, you make something memorable for others and you next gig will be better. The whole point is to improve, do the work, touch people and move your larger project forward. Don’t miss an opportunity to make the magic happen...at any/every level.
A Short Memory is Essential! If you’re in a relationship of any kind a short memory helps you forget the things that happen and irritate you. They will come...forget them and move on. A short memory also helps you to not rest on your laurels. You’ve made progress, celebrated, feel good...that’s good. Now move on to the next goal, level, project and don’t stop!
Make the Progress, Celebrate the Progress, Make adjustments. Sometimes you think your path leads you one way and then you find something else works better...No worries, make the adjustment. You may return to what you’re working with at a later time when you’re ready and it makes sense to you.
Learn what you have before buying more. It’s easy to always look at the new shiny object when you haven’t mastered the tools you have in front of you. Slow down, learn your tools and your craft and if you can’t accomplish your goals with your tools, get it and program in the learning curve. Buying something is not mastering it or accomplishing anything...beware!
Focus, Focus, Focus... Pick two things that you need to learn to accelerate your progress towards goals that are important to you. Make progress...life keeps rolling on and if you don’t do it, you may never get it out of your head and into reality.
Appreciate your journey and the incredible people you meet, have met and will meet. Like attracts like and your life will mirror your life. If you want to meet interesting, good people, seek to be interesting and good yourself. The people and opportunities will show up!
Publish, publish, publish... Don’t wait for perfection, do the best you can and get it out there. You’ll improve as you do it. There are so many ways to publish that it’s more available than ever: Youtube, websites, soundcloud, Bandcamp... Just Do it!
Be Patient! Improvement comes in increments. So you’re doing the work and you’ve learned something new and you look at the end result and you think ”It Sucks”... That’s ok! Publish it anyways, you can improve and revise as you get better. The prison of perfection keeps you from publishing, expressing, making progress, being peaceful...Let it go and just keep doing the work and publishing the work. As a drummer friend once said, ”I was horrible for so long, I just had to get better...” And he did!
Figure your top 3 goals for the month and do them in priority. It’s incredibly easy to lose focus and follow the shiny, new object of interest. You know what you want and need to do this month...put it on a written list and do the most important thing first. You’ll accomplish more and be able to see and celebrate your progress.
Look for Divine connections with the people you meet. The people you run into for work, in an Uber, at the airport, at the mall, at a store can and do bring messages you need to know! These Divine connections can be from very unexpected people/sources...be open to learning from the people you’re in contact with...it could be an Angel is disguise!
Don’t let the ”Big Picture” prevent you from taking the small steps forward today. There’s a lot of talk about ”Thinking Big” and ”Seeing the Big Picture”. I’m all for it BUT sometimes you’re so far from where you want to be that it’s demotivating. Make sure to remember to do the small stuff today that will get you there and make the progress, do the tutorials, do the work...A strong foundation will accelerate your growth as you go.
Be Thankful for the difficult people that make your life good. So often we gripe about a person or persons in our life that make things difficult. Often that very person is responsible for your level of abundance, opportunity, good things and you don’t see it or refuse to see it. Step back, take a breath and be thankful for those people you butt heads with. Try to see how they are making the good things in your life possible.
People are slaves to whatever has mastered them. What has mastered you? Alcohol, Drugs Overspending, Porn, Overeating, Negativity, Gossip, Self-Pity...or worse?!? You know your addictive issues well and may feel powerless to deal with it. There is hope!
Drop the Blade... There are times when you just need to cut your losses, drop the blade, you’ve lost what you’ve lost...time to turn the page. MOVE ON!!! Your next step will not come alive in many cases until you’ve hoisted the excess baggage off the boat so you can right size your life and move on in a new direction. Sorry for all of the cliche's but it’s so true. GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE and don’t give your power to the people/situations that have hurt you.
One Step Leads to the next. As you make your progress and learn one crucial skill at a time, the next important skill and step will become obvious. Take it! Decide to go deep, learn something new from the very beginning and master it.
Learn Your Craft to Do Your Original Projects. It’s great to learn doing Covers, copying the masters, learning your craft, doing demos from Youtube Videos...BUT, the real purpose is to get YOUR stuff out there. It’s also important to publish it for others. So, learn a technique, trick, hack...then use it ASAP on your own creation and see where it leads you.
Physical pleasure is important in relationships. It’s easy to ignore your physical needs in a relationship. It’s often complicated and difficult to navigate. Don’t let your excuses take you out of the game. Risk it and see if you can figure it out with your partner.
Breaking Barriers/Self-Imposed limitations leads you to growth and next steps. Break a barrier and you gain confidence that you can move forward in other areas of your life that you found impossible. Celebrate your progress and look to where it is leading you. Your next step will be obvious and you’ll break another barrier on your way to growth and self-actualization. You’ll soon discover that your limitations are all self-imposed...This realization is freedom and joy.
Make Progress, break a barrier, learn a new skill, do something you’re putting off. You have a list of things that you know are barriers keeping you back, or skills you know are valuable or things you’re just avoiding...Do them and feel the positive force of moving past your own limitations. You’ll soon see all limitations as internal and realize that “YOU CAN DO IT!” (Because you have!).
The Universe’ provision usually only comes at the perfect time when you need it...not before. Are your fretting about a lack you feel that is coming?? Wait in peace and be patient, the Universe will provide “just in time” and not a moment before you and the situation are ready. This can be frustrating but it’s how it is. This does not preclude preparation but realize that the actual event will occur at the proper time, when everything is ready.
Prepare yourself for the opportunity/connection that brings it all together for you. Your next step in life wants you as much as you want it. So, be prepared and present yourself, your work, your areas of collaboration so when that connection/person/opportunity comes to you, you’re ready. Your life is making space for this growth and pruning the things that are non-essential. Focus on the essential and put your “set” together for the moment when it comes...it’s coming! Sooner than you think!
Giving is only meaningful if it makes sense to the receiver. We often give to others selfishly...We do things for others that we value. Often what we value is not of value to your partner, child, friend, colleague. It takes real effort to understand what the “other” wants and needs so you can give them something they value. This misunderstanding is behind the saying: “No good deed goes unpunished.” The “Good Deed” is miscalculated if not researched well first to make sure you’re on the right track.
Let go of Negativity. It’s so easy to let the negativity of the world, your family drama, friend drama, work drama seep into your mind and life. It seems to be human nature to absorb and continue the negativity but it’s not productive and will only bring harm to you and your spirit. Let it go and focus on what matters and the positive and the good.
September 2021
Kindness and Consideration go a long way in any relationship. The minimum of kindness and consideration will help your partner, friend, relative, colleague, neighbor, acquaintance feel better about themselves and about your care for them...Make a commitment to understand what that means for the person and how you can deliver it. Sometimes listening, or a smile is all it takes. The closer the person is to you the more important it is and the more complicated it can be. Focus on what’s important to them and not your own definition of care and support. It’s not easy but worth the effort.
Face the Day and Empty the Mind. We spend so much time filling our mind that it leaves little room for what Life has for us in the Day. Plan, prepare and then just let go and see what happens, what new things and unexpected things come up and run with it. Maybe it’s a friend who appears out of nowhere and texts you for a Facetime...take it and see what their message is for you. Take these surprises seriously and see where it leads you and them! You have a message for them too!
Life will test you and form you...let it. You will not escape the challenges of Life but you can choose to see these tests as opportunities to grow, triumph and move forward. Look to who you want to be and make progress towards that person today. The ultimate goal is to love, be loved and help others grow in their struggles as Life forms them as well.
Focus on your performance set... Use your opportunities to prepare your set/gig and get motivated to make real progress. Develop what you need to make the gig happen and let it form your focus for the near term. Deadlines and specific tasks are not a distraction but could be an important new focus. Incorporate what you’re working on as part of it and see how it integrates and makes for something cool! This motivation/juice is what feeds your soul.
You will receive the opportunity to learn your lessons until you learn them. If you find yourself experiencing the same difficulties time after time...realize that you will until you learn the lesson. Think of what you’d say to another person who asks you for advice about the same challenge...follow your own advice...you know what you need to do, just do it!
Jacob always meets Laban. Life always brings you a “taste of your own medicine.” If you’re rude or short, you’ll meet someone who is ruder and shorter than you are so you experience it. If you’re a perfectionist and can’t stand things out of place or things not going your way...you’ll meet that person and have an experience of it. If you’ve hurt people in a certain way, you’ll meet someone who hurts you. Life is about learning and improving (hopefully!!). Learn from your teachers and make changes. Let Life mold you in the positive sense. Don’t be overcome by these people but learn from them. “I learned love from the loveless, patience from the impatient, strength from the weak...” You’ll be surprised by who these “teachers” are...they may be your parents, children, spouse, colleagues...those closest to you.
Write out the new story of your unfolding abundance and watch it happen. Take a moment to write your story of the next step and watch it unfold. Be the writer of your script and let it go. Don’t feel the need to repeat it or continually focus on it. Just write it and let it go today. Take note of the clues you see that it’s coming and becoming reality, be thankful!
Read the tea leaves of your life and go for it. Things are falling into place every day for you. Look for your divine guidance and give it a shot! If you get it wrong, you can correct, if you get it right, be ready for the ride of your life! The Universe is more exciting and interesting than we realize until we see where it’s going and go with it! “Turn your boat downstream” and feel the power of the positive current.
Allow the Christ within to guide and lead you and work through you. The Universe is forming you and leading you to fulfill your work in the world. Let it happen, get quiet, hear from within and do it. You’ll see it leads to important and interesting tasks even in the mundane daily routines.
The Universe has a plan to mold you like a Potters forming clay...Let it happen, don’t fight it, don’t stress over it. Just go with the current of where your life is taking you. Work to be the best version of yourself and realize that your close relationships and Love are all that really satisfy
Let your life unfold...good things are coming, be open and relaxed. We get so uptight about transitions and the desire to move forward. Relaxing and watching it happen is a much more peaceful way to proceed. Cultivate your partner’s support if possible and do it together, it makes the journey so much better.
Dig the gold in the field you’re standing in, bloom where you’re planted. What you’re looking for is in front of you, in the terra that you live in and very close at hand...Look for it! You’ll find the good in your current reality. The “Grass is always Greener” is simply not true, you’re already in the midst of an Abundant reality that holds the clues to your next step of abundance...Find it and start digging!
There are two lies: Fear is real (It’s not), Others have more than you do (they have challenges too). Fear keeps us frozen in where we are. It’s not real, so open your mind and heart to the reality that you can do what you fear. Your fears will not come to pass. If something happens, your way forward will appear. Also, others have challenges as big as yours, so get over the erroneous thought that they have it better...They don’t! Go forward on your path fearlessly, don’t use others as a measure of your path or progress.
Say ”Yes” to Life and your opportunities. Take what’s in front of you and run with it. Don’t wish you were somewhere else, with someone else, just give your all to the moment and see where Life takes you.
Listen, Be Kind, Be Joyful/Lighthearted. Remember we all have soft spots, be patient, think of how to make that person feel good about themselves, Love. People will remember how you made them feel. You’re here to touch other people...make sure it’s a positive, uplifting touch when possible!
Read your Holy Book everyday. Wash your mind in something you think is important, uplifting, magical... The Bible/Koran/Book of Mormon/Book of Miracle/Tao Ching, Science of the Mind... It doesn’t matter if you concentrate on each word, just let the impact hit you subconsciously. You will benefit from this kind of mind-washing.
Keep Diggin’ Deeper into your Passion. You’ve made progress by being a Pro and learning your tools. Now put them to use and compose, write, paint, create something...! The next level is waiting and you’ll keep your eye on the goal. Then publish it! Rinse and repeat!
Do the work, be a Pro, make the decision and do it. Most goals are not reached because we never decided to do it and committed to it. Commit to being a Pro in your chosen passion, work, relationship, ministry, personal healing, personal transformation... Do what you need to do. You already know what you need to do. If you don’t, your teacher will arrive when you’re ready...follow the tasks and see where they take you and see what happens to you. It’s really all about how you let it affect you...!
Say “Yes” to Life...Let Life change you, it’s what it’s all about... Dr. Suess said it well: “Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get the chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised that it would be worth it.”
Life Really is a Game! Change your view of your life and you’ll enjoy it more. If life really is a game...play it! Try applying for jobs you don’t qualify for, look for the unexpected, the interesting and see what happens when you follow it down the rabbit hole. You may end up learning something, doing something new, enlarging your awareness and seeing the impossible become possible...You’ll grow, benefit and God forbid...maybe even have fun.
You can begin your long-term projects and make progress!! It really is possible to accomplish long term goals by taking small steps and celebrating progress. Enthusiasm is more important than intelligence, talent or hard work. Regain your enthusiasm for what gives you life and you’ll see real progress which pushes you forward quickly!
Remind yourself of what “Plan A” is and go for that. A friend my age passed away the other day. It reminded me that my mortality is beyond my control. Yes, I’m doing all I can to live healthy...but anything could happen at any time. SO... Go back to “Plan A” and decide to not settle. Make progress towards “Plan A” today and live in the joy and happiness of the moment. Hug the one’s you love, let the stupid stuff roll off, don’t take things personally and constantly let your thought roll off you. “God heal me from my thoughts” is helpful when fearful or anger provoking thoughts arise. Do what matters to you, make progress, delight in the delightful and enjoy the energy of your passions to feed your soul...that’s why you have them!
Maintain a 20 year old mind. A 20 year old is just looking at the next step when it comes up. They’re looking for what seems interesting. They believe it will all work out. They march on without being too concerned about the consequences. This is where I am returning to in my 60’s. What’s keeping me from it? Myself and my thoughts and my accepting non reality as reality. In other words, I am the one keeping me from this place...no one or no-thing else. Change your thoughts, let the fear go, do what’s in front of you passionately and see where it all takes you...now that’s living, and that’s freedom and that’s reality.
Remember when you were 20 and what excited you, your hopes and lack of heavy constraints... It’s still true and an important place to revisit. When you were young and carefree you could get excited about simple things and look forward to things coming up and what you were doing that day. That childlike attitude is what we were made to experience. It becomes more difficult as you age but it can still be remembered, experienced and perhaps even returned to.
Celebrate the Milestones. A child turns 10-20-30, 20 years since 911, anniversaries, years at a job, months/years of recovery/keeping with a program-commitment... Take the moment to reflect on these milestones and see the progress you’re making. In the everyday mundane activities, it’s not easy to see the bigger picture of our lives passing and progressing. The progress gives us hope that we can do the things we love, with people we love and be happy.
You are the plane! “God is my co-pilot" used to make sense to me. Then the more intense version is: “I am God’s co-pilot" I.e. God is running the show. Now the clearer concept for me is that I am the plane and the Universe is providing me with the opportunities, experiences for me to participate in/take advantage of/live.
Go after your key projects and make progress today. Celebrate your progress as you work on the important skills. Next, use your new skills to make projects that are the real goal. Then find a way to document and publish it. If all you do is publish a video to a friend...that’s a good start!
Clear your mind of thoughts that are not real. The biggest threat to your success, peace, sleep, work... is thought that brings negativity and false fear. I find that the prayer: “God heal my thoughts” is helpful to release the negative thoughts that are disturbing.
Make people feel listened to and loved and you’ve really accomplished something. Everything else is really just “side salads” and secondary. Very little of what goes on daily matters...don’t take yourself or these events too seriously, because they are not real or serious or worth the emotions that they elicit. Do what seems important, immediate, urgent, loving and that’s about all you’ll get done on a daily basis.
Don’t get caught up in other people’s Dramas... It’s so easy to get caught up in other people’s drama...we are addicted to drama, keeping score, dwelling on negative past issues... none of it is real. We give our power away to this crap...let it go, walk away, tell a different story, live your own life... You give up your personal control of your life by letting this stuff in to your life through the front door of your creative thoughts. USE YOUR WONDERFUL MIND FOR HIGHER THINGS...
Do what’s cool, interesting, exciting, mysterious, magical... that’s where the juice is. ”Follow your bliss” is the best advice from Joseph Campbell. I’ve been doing what I thought was cool since I was young. I’m thankful that my faith journey started early. Little did I know at the time that it was an ”awareness breakthrough” and not a ”salvation event.” Little did I know that I’d have to struggle through my addictive nature/issues. I’m still struggling with it... thankfully making progress!
August 2021
Relax into the Unfolding and live in the effortless state of manifestation without your control. We have the illusion of control. We work hard and get results or we do nothing and get lucky. We do the right things and get a negative result...and wonder why “Bad things happen to Good People doing the right things.” Truth is, we don’t have the control we’d like or wish we’d have. We do have control over our reaction. We can choose to see the illusion of our thoughts and not play that game. Play a different game today and see what happens.
Watch your Life Unfold as the Universe moves forward. See what your opportunities are and watch for signs of what’s next. It should make sense, be effortless and appreciate your unique qualities. “Turn your boat downstream” and see where the current is leading you. It may be in a direction you may not understand or have experience with but it’s a stepping stone so “Go for it!”
When the Student is ready, the Teacher shows up. We often want to hurry things along and miss that it’s a journey, a process and you’re ready when you’re ready. See what you’re understanding today and recognize your current teacher, get involved and follow and learn. The next step will come when you’ve finished the step you’re on. Some things are just too advanced for your level of consciousness...don’t fret, it will be clear at the perfect time. Timing truly is everything.
Focused, concentrated action for short periods of time creates results.Pick the one skill that will bring you to the next level and focus on it until you master it. This technique takes you out of the procrastination/dreamer/amateur level and brings you to the Pro level. Anything that interferes with your focus needs to go. Start with eliminating your T.V. time. Make sure your focus task/skill can be done anytime, anywhere you used to watch T.V. Like Sugar, take T.V. out of your life unless it’s to watch for cataclysmic events/acts of God, Wars, Crashes...Even there don’t waste time on following up, it will come to you when you need it.
Get out of the way. The new is coming and your stress will not hasten it. Watch your life unfold and go with the flow. Point your boat downstream. Focus on being happy, positive, flexible and attentive to the Universe’ cues and clues. It’s in front of you, you have what you need, relax and discover your inner power that has always been there and always will be there.
Focus on one tool at a time. If you have limited time, are traveling...focus on one simple task and one tool so you actually accomplish something. Deep knowledge of a tool will be valuable. Choose an original piece to work on so it really counts and keeps your motivation high.
It’s time to publish daily...giterdone. You have material that you need to publish. You don’t need to be a perfectionist...just do it! As you publish, adjust, get better...you’ll improve and become confident in your content. Don’t wait until it’s right/perfect...just start the regular routine of publishing today. Take one content piece and do it today.
Have one way of creating that you know well and use it as often as possible. It’s easy to get distracted by all the shiny objects, i.e. new toys for creative work. That’s fine but don’t let it distract you from getting work done and making progress on your production and publishing goals. If you don’t get your creativity out, it will never be heard/enjoyed/paid for/realized...
Be Ready when Creativity Strikes – Get it down quickly before it disappears! We have so many good ideas that come and go and we often wrongly think that they will come back but they don’t! Have a way to sketch your ideas down quickly so you don’t lose them and you can come back later to flesh them out!
Track Your Pro Work – It's important! Your “Pro Work” is important to track, celebrate and watch the results grow. Your commitment to “doing the work” will bring you where you want to go.
Schedule vacations. If your vacation is really just a holiday...take it! Treat it like a vacation away even if you’re staying home. Find a way to make it special and get some needed rest and stress reduction. Live your life! Don’t wait for big events, make a small moment big and memorable.
Celebrate your goal achievement and progress! Set mini goals and watch as you make progress. Document your success and it will increase your velocity of moving towards the big goals.
Publish your work. There are so many ways to publish your work online...take advantage of the power of publishing and get your work out. Make it a regular routine to publish your work, even if it’s “under construction.”
The Debtor is slave to the Debt-Giver. Keep light, stay out of debt, be responsible. You are free if you owe no person money. The less you have the less you’re enslaved to your possessions.
Work on one project at a time. Multi-tasking is overrated and the bane of getting things done. Pick one important task and finish it without distractions. See how you feel and do it again! Take something that you’ve put off doing for a very long time and see it through to completion.
Make it Portable. Make sure you can do your important routines anywhere/everywhere. It’s too easy to make excuses for not being able to do your thing...Do it and make it doable anywhere you have a small area on a table.
Seek Happiness and find it within, you’re already perfect. The only real goal is happiness. The only place to find it is within. External goals, things, people...will not bring you happiness. Find your source within and be happy today.
Write your affirmations on a card and set them on fire...let go of them.Detachment from your desires is an important step to seeing them come true. The more you write out your desires, the more you keep them at bay. Declare them and let them go and watch them happen at the perfect time. Look for clues and follow what you need to do!
Evidence journal. Look for evidence that your life is moving in the direction you want. Interpret your life as a success story filled with synchronicities, good luck, divine guidance, cool things, cool people... Life is what you make it and you’ve got the skills to make it good. You have everything you need right now, go and find it.
Thankfulness will bring more of what you’re thankful for. Take time to write out what you’re thankful for. Focusing on goals can maintain a state of “want.” Thankfulness will fill you with the good that you see and have.
Move On, Let Go, Forgive. You’ve dropped the Blade, you see the negative to let go, you forgive and make room for the good and new.
Become a Pro. Make the decision and take the actions to be a professional: musician, writer, painter, creative person. Do what a pro would do. Do the work whether you feel like it or not. Make the muse, push forward and see the creative expression come from unknown places.
Make Room for the New. Dropping the blade on old clothes, possessions that you don’t use or care about allows a space for the new.
Let go of your fantasy of the past! We often cherish moments and people in our lives whose time has passed. You’ve grown and moved on...so have they! Keep in the moment of what’s actually going on and let go of the past fantasies.
Drop the Blade... If you haven’t used it in years, let it go. Lighten the ship. Soon you’ll find that if you haven’t used it in a year, let it go. Recirculating possessions, books, clothes, equipment...helps keep you fresh and gives another person the opportunity to grow from your patrimony.
Schedule mini-Sabbaticals to refresh and refocus. It’s so easy to stay on the Hamster wheel. Take a break, read a book, sit and reflect, fast, pray, journal and remember why you’re on the planet. Remember what moves you and dig deeper. Your time is limited, use it wisely!
Letting Go of Stuff! It’s difficult to let go of your stuff... As you go through each piece you remember why you bought it and how it made you feel. The fantasy of reading it, using it, benefiting from it comes back. It’s really an illusion. But it’s an illusion that really sticks to you if this is one of your issues. Deal with it head on and let go, make room for less and discover that less is more!
Heal the Gut, it’s the basis of health. In your healing process...look to your gut as an important place to start. Research the importance of Gut health for your overall health and take steps to correct it and heal it. Your whole body will benefit.
Remove the Clutter. If you haven’t used it for years, give it away. If you don’t fit in it, give it away. Your excess could be another’s treasure. Participate in the flow of life by giving it away. See what matters and focus on it. Clothes to Salvation Army, Books to Churches/Libraries. Sell what you can, give the rest away. Then look at what you want to focus on and get rid of the extra.
Change your look! If the new you inside is coming together, change it up and change your look outside. See what a different look is like for you. Maybe it’s good, maybe not but it’s a way to continue to shake things up and try new things. Get your partner involved if possible. If not, just do it!
Expect the Unexpected! Your next step may come from a very unusual source. Take it seriously, check it out, be open to new paths/destinations/purposes/connections. Your life is about growth and experience so the next step may be something very different...go with it!
Look for something ”cool” to do! So many of our choices in life are because we are forced/required to do them. The world today is so full of opportunities and choices and connection possibilities that it’s the ideal moment to look for interesting things to do rather than what we think we must do. Get in touch with that, open your mind to it and it will find you.
Stop Overspending. Overspending, like overeating, can ruin your life. If you need to go through a transition your overspending will raise your debt level to a pain point. Your overspending will shackle you and keep you from doing the work you’re spending for.
July 2021
Keep Positive, Stop Complaining and Don’t participate in other’s negativity. Negativity really kills the spirit, the dreams and the body. Don’t jump in with others in panicking, gossiping, complaining, being generally negative. Stick to your guns and just say NO.
Stay the Course, Believe in what you’re doing! Faith is only important when you don’t see the next step. It’s easy to panic and it’s even tougher if your significant others are panicking. Now’s the time to kick it into gear and see the provision. Do what you are led to do, take stabs, look for the Unicorn, be the Unicorn!
Write an Adventure and do it! Think of something that gets your juices flowing and make plans to do it. Do you have an opportunity play for people? Make it an adventure and do your best to play well. Can you arrange for a Busker gig in a cool place? Do it! Get your set together and play. See what happens when you put yourself out there. Make sure you have your business cards to promote your online presence...the Universe will come through, just watch!
The addiction to equipment is really procrastination. You don’t need the best equipment to do your work, to exercise your creativity or publish your art. Just use what you have and focus on the work rather than the process or methods or expensive equipment that you ”need.” Your real issue may be your spending addiction. Deal with that by proving to yourself that you can do with what you have. There’s a lot of power in not needing things to do your work, be yourself, fulfill your life purpose.
Stick with Plan A. When things are going well and you have confidence to reach for your highest goal...then it all abruptly changes and you have a crisis/challenge. It’s tempting to let Plan A go and focus on whatever you know. Like a major drop in the Stock Market, a downturn may be the time to double down and believe even more in your Plan A. It may be the Universe’s way of making room for the next thing.
Be Careful what you Ask for! Often wishful thinking/affirming/writing can lead to the Universe taking you seriously...Oh snap now what?! The panic of having a major opportunity to move forward with an ideal goal can lead to self-sabotage, procrastination, denial... Just take one step at a time and see where it goes. Begin affirming the peace and effortlessness of the manifestation. Watch for “Flow” and jump in. Keep it secret so your treasured desire doesn’t get trampled on by well-meaning friends and loved ones. Ignore the negative and delight in the possible/ideal result. See what happens! It’s worth the risk.
Ask people about themselves and listen. Your interest in others will make you welcome in their world. Get to know what motivates people, what they’re interested in and what their ”thing” is. You’ll bless them with your attention, you’ll learn something new and you’ll establish a caring relationship with someone. It will benefit them immediately and be beneficial to you when you’re in need. Giving to people in this way builds up a reservoir of good will and is important.
Take your opportunities as steppingstones and make them meaningful.If you’re playing music at a church, a family event or a neighborhood party, treat it as a gig, work hard to prepare, make it happen and see what the Universe gives you next. Each opportunity, no matter how small or insignificant, is the next step for you and will bring the bigger step after that.
Find Common Ground, Be Agreeable. It’s a challenge to find common ground with the diverse people you encounter daily. The connection points are what create relationships that are meaningful. Take the challenge of finding common ground and letting go of the conflict points. This is true for work, marriage, friendships and all the relationships you have. Certain relationships will be much easier because you have a lot in common and you’ll benefit from these connections/information/relationships. Others will be much more challenging and these people are in your life to help you grow and expand your consciousness. Accept the gift and learn from it.
Quick plan your ideal day. Spend a max of 5 minutes imagining your perfect day. Don’t over think, just write and let go. Keep it for the day and see how you do. Start with the most important things first. If you can do just one thing today to move forward in your life, what would you do?? Do this for family, personal growth and work.
To quote the Bible: Because He Himself suffered, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Embrace your story, retell it as a necessary character builder of who you are today. Your story will help others because of your struggles, issues, challenges, failures, and successes. Looking back will help you to accept the present moment with its issues, challenges, failures, and promise. Every moment has these elements, and you can interpret them negatively or positively as steppingstones to what you are becoming.
Set Concrete Deadlines for your Body Transformation.Time bound; specific, realistic, positive, weight goals will help your transformation. Meeting these goals will be powerful reminders that “You can do this!” Watch out, because this confidence will soon spill into other areas of your life as you see a wholistic transformation of body, mind and spirit.
Fasting is a tool for detox, healing, weight loss and self-control. The body has a mechanism for resetting, healing itself, regenerating cells, detoxing...it’s fasting. When you fast, you activate your natural healing powers for your good. You also will sharpen your mind, your sense of self-control and your freedom. Enslavement to habits and addictions is devastating. Fasting demonstrates that you can and are free from any shackles you’ve taken on: Alcohol, Overeating, Overspending, Negative Thoughts, Procrastination... Use fasting for each of these issues. Start slow and become accustomed to the feelijng/experience. Research and test what’s best for you. There are a lot of resources online and from the medical community if you look for it.
Change your Diet Change your life. “You are what you eat, food is medicine...” are both platitudes and truths. Research a diet that works for you for your way of understanding your body and your values. The underlying issue is hormonal: insulin resistance. What you eat is important, how much you eat and when you eat will fill out the full picture.
Make intermediate progress goal deadlines. The important life goals will require “progress goal deadlines” to see movement and keep the momentum going.
Set Goals with Deadlines that are meaning for you. It’s important to set specific goals and make them time bound. Associating your goal deadlines with important life dates is also helpful (birthday, new year, anniversary, life change date...). Setting reachable goals and stretch goals help propel you forward. Take time to celebrate the successes and make the adjustments for the goals that were premature. As Vince Lombardi said after a loss: “We didn’t lose, we just ran out of time.” If a goal deadline was unreachable, push it out and get started on the next date. You’ll most likely need to change your approach to reach it...that’s good too!
Watch the Universe unfold its purpose for you. Take the necessary steps you have in front of you, “eat the frog” and you’ll see the Universe reveal the next step in your Journey of purpose. Journal, be positive, share with your close partner and be patient. It’s coming even if you can’t see it. Take every forward step as part of the unfolding and the revelation of the next step. When the next step comes...TAKE IT!
Remove Clutter of all kinds. Sometimes the next step doesn’t become clear until you remove the clutter. Clutter can be physical, mental, work related, past hurts, relationship issues...and will inhibit your forward movement. Try letting go of old clothes, old hangups, old hurts, old unforgiveness, old ideas of what you can/cannot do, old limitations of any kind and see what happens when you remove them.
Move. Sometimes just a small amount of movement makes a huge difference in the quality of our daily life, health, weight and general well-being. Find a regular routine of 15 minutes daily plus some walking and you’ll be there. Mix it up, make it regular and find moments where you add more.
Learn to Breathe. The one thing we all share in common is our breathing. There are centuries of information and experience dealing with breathing. Find an information source that makes sense to you and learn how to add breathing to your daily learning regiment.
Rediscover your passion. Explore your passion and remember what it was that attracted you to it in the beginning. Sometimes it’s as simple as just playing and feeling what you’re doing, paying attention to it. We overthink so many things, circumstances, relationships, work... Just stop and experience your passion and reconnect the dots. Find a practice that gets you there and do it daily as a priority in your day before work, family, issues take over.
“How can I be the best me today?” Ask yourself power questions to receive answers from your higher self, the Universe, God, your loved ones, your circumstances, your synchronicities... Start with being your best self then move to more specific topics. Ask the question in a relaxed quiet state, following your breathing and see what you get. Limit your moment to 10 minutes max. You could also write out the question and burn it. Release it to the Universe and see what you receive and how you receive it. Then, ACT ON IT!. Your message is time bounded just for today so use it or lose it.
It’s all about Relationships and Love. Sounds corny and a bit hippy but it’s true. When you see old friends, relatives you haven’t seen for a while, return home to your loved ones and routine...it’s a reminder that life is really about the quality of your relationships. Listening, loving, caring, sharing is really the goal, reward, challenge, and point of life. Good to experience this, good to be part of it. The rest falls into place afterwards.
Stay the Course, ignore peer pressure. So you’re doing your routine, you’re seeing results and now you’re with people who would like you to return to your former ways... STAY THE COURSE, STICK TO YOUR GUNS, IGNORE THEIR PEER PRESSURE. Sometimes the people closest to you are the ones who are the least supportive. Often they’ll want to get you to cheat, act out with them... Remove yourself physically, mentally, spiritually from these people and situations. Find strength in your resolve to heal, improve, move forward, live at a higher level and Stay the Course!
Stick up for yourself. You will have situations where you’ll need to express firmly what you want and need. You may need to defend yourself against people who seek to take advantage of you. The Universe has given you this challenge to show you that you can be confident and take care of your interests in the face of difficult people/companies/organizations... You can and MUST do it.
Figure out what your partner wants/needs and give it to her/him. Sounds simple but it’s not. Some couples never figure it out and have conflict everyday. Most likely your partner is telling you on a daily basis and you’re not paying attention because it’s outside of what you think is important. You could also be just plain selfish and not care. Whatever the reason, take notes, be proactive, pay attention and make progress. You may be pleasantly surprised. Expect this to take time so begin with the obvious and work from there. Differences in sex and temperament and ”opposites attract” are all factors that will make this a challenge. You can do it!
Find joy in transition. The Universe is taking things out so it can put better things in its place. Don’t be afraid of loss, look forward to what’s coming. Like the end of the school year as a kid, your transition is the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, more interesting chapter.
Write your story of where your life is ideally going. Interpret your present situation is terms of your ideal life. Think it, imagine it, write it down, share it with your partner or someone you trust to support and celebrate with you. It’s coming, it’s very good and you will start a new chapter that will excelerate your growth and abundance. Embrace it, enjoy the present moment and be at hopeful, excited, peace and joy. Show more love to others from this place of joy.
The Universe is shouting its love and highest purpose for you. Take time to reflect, listen and see where the Universe is taking your life. Enjoy the moment, think less, feel more, let it happen. Realize that you have less control than you hope and also less stress because you can let it just unfold...celebrate the generous, joyful provision. Shuck the old and embrace the new, don’t look back. Drop the wrench, pencil...stress and revel in the joy and provision of the present moment. You are perfect and at peace in this moment.
Measure your goals, set deadlines. Measuring your progress and setting deadlines keep you moving forward and keep you motivated and/or in check. If you need to change the deadline and/or the goal...no problem! As you move forward you’ll figure out what’s possible, what’s a stretch and what your faith goals are. You’ll be surprised what is possible for you as you document and keep track of your progress. Looking back, you may have done miracles over a period of time!
The Universe is in control. There are large forces at work that you cannot see. Sometimes it’s difficult to believe that the right things will happen at the right time...but they will! Believe that your highest good is on the way and all you need to do is get in line with the change that’s coming. A transition is a wonderful chance to exercise the muscle of faith. Rest in peace, find the place of tranquility within you, appreciate the support of your loved ones and friends, take care of your body, take care of your mind. Learn what you need to learn to deal with the stress in your life. Eliminate clutter, focus on the essentials and let go of the crap. This is a powerful, positive detox moment for you, benefit from it!
Wait for the Universe to do its work. Patience in transition is often very challenging. Waiting for the Universe to put things together takes discipline and an attitude adjustment. Imagine your best life, try to live it and expect that something positive is coming. People will show up, opportunities will arise, expect good things. Make sure to journal the experience and watch the miracle. The adage: “Work as if it all depends on you and pray as though it all depends on God” is very wise and true. Do whatever you think is good, cast a wide net and pray/watch for the unexpected and the “road less traveled”.
Listen to your heart and do what you need to do. Tough moments come when you just need to listen to your heart and do what needs to be done. Have courage, lean on the support you have of your partner and go forward. Life and transitions are often challenging but you grow through the stress. You can do this!
Expect Something New Today! Transitions, setbacks and surprises can be unsettling, but they can also be exciting if you change your attitude and expect something new and good to come up. Change and growth require stress and effort with moments of the body rebuilding and healing. Learn from your body and how it grows, heals and moves forward positively. If you’re stuck in old ways of thinking you’ll feel trapped and see the world as a negative, difficult place. BUT if you see that the struggle brought you something valuable, you can grow from it and take it with you. It’s all in your choice of mindset and how you react to the situation.
June 2021
Be Hopeful, something good and perhaps unexpected will happen today.Sounds a bit like a Chinese cookie proverb but sometimes this expectation is both true and necessary. Take a different perspective if you’re going through uncertain times. Life is a game, play it, enjoy it, watch for the Universe’ next step. Go with the breeze, don’t be rigid. Listen to your intuition and do your best to read the circumstances. I’ll need to listen to the Alchemist again today...Urim-Thurim
Recharge, re-evaluate, renew, refocus figure out the next step. Transitions and change bring a moment of reflection. Make sure to take it! Let the Universe-your Higher Self-Christ within-Spirit speak to you and help you see why you’re on the planet. Get busy with what you discover, the timing is perfect. Be open for unexpected clues, direction, opportunities.
Life is change, surprises, stepping stones and forward motion. Change is the nature of life. Nature tends towards growth, survival and occasional forest fires to open seeds that can be opened only with fire/heat. Embrace change as a way for new growth to appear and lead you to a higher place. Chaos is always a bit daunting at first but you’re unbreakable even if you don’t realize it. Your Soul works at a higher level where there is always sunshine. You may be experiencing the storm and not see the Sun but your Soul sees it and is unperturbed. Be at peace and wait for things to unfold, for new opportunities to come and for the Sun that you know is above the clouds. Faith is believing what you cannot now see.
Unexpected reversals create space for new opportunities and growth. Something drastic/dramatic happened...that’s good! Look for what is coming up, it’s bigger and better. Believe that the Universe is in control and not people. You have bigger advocates on your team than you realize, trust them and not your fear voices.
Measure your growth. Setting goals, measurable metrics, deadlines and plans for attainment are the building blocks of significant progress on what matters most. Some goals you’ll put out there without any idea of how to accomplish them...that’s good too. It will become clearer over time. Make sure you have short term goals that you can reach so you see progress that will propel you towards the bigger goals.
Do your own bio hacking. Understand how your body responds to foods, diets, exercise, fasting... Take responsibility for the maintenance and understanding of your “temple of God.” The body-mind connection is well documented. Understand how you react to physical, emotional, spiritual and interpersonal stimulii. Figure out how you work, know thy physical self and find out your optimal state. Live your best life: Physically, Emotionally, Spiritually and in the world with others (Interpersonally).
Deal with Stress. Learn how to refocus your thoughts, meditate, still your thoughts... Stay away from drugs and realize that your dealing with stress is a constant in life. Learn as soon as you can how to deal with it. This learning/search will be a lifelong journey. Keep at it!
Celebrate meeting your goals! Set reasonable goals and stretch goals. When you meet those reasonable goals, the stretch goals look possible/doable. Progress is always a challenge and a victory. Once you get bitten by the drug of goal fulfillment you’ll set more and accomplish more.
Carry Other’s Issues without being brought down yourself. Part of loving and managing and having relationships is carrying other’s burdens. The trick is to make sure it doesn’t bring YOU down. Find out how to care/love, have boundaries, let go of other people’s stuff and release it all in forgiveness and love. Easier said than done but necessary. Awareness alone may help with this.
The Big Lesson of this Life: Learn to Love. Why is 1 Corinthians 13 one of the most important passages of Scripture? Because it’s true. “If I have...but do not have Love, I am nothing...” The song, “Make one person happy,” is also so true, if you can’t make at least one person happy...what are you doing? Decide to make that one person happy, decide to listen and empathize with others, decide to hold your tongue, decide to allow people the space to learn their lessons, decide to love rather than be harsh, right, smart... It’s a decision, a commitment, a journey...get started today.
When the Student is ready, the Teacher appears. This oft repeated phrase is so true. What teacher has arrived for you? There are many teachers, circumstances, crises, spouses, T.V., Books, YouTube videos, or something out of the blue that comes to mind. Take these teachers seriously and learn the lesson. If you refuse the lesson, it will return with more force. What you’re looking for in your life is looking for you and trying to break through. Let it come, listen, take the steps required and watch the teacher take you where you need to go. Don’t fight it, learn from it. So often we keep giving the gifts back because they are not offered in the form we wanted BUT they are offered in the way you NEED it.
Do something for your partner. What is something small that you can do for your partner that shows that you’re looking out for his/her well-being?
Consistency keeps the forward progress moving. Keep up your routine, even if you need to shorten it. The consistency will keep you and your program moving. It’s too easy to give up for find a reason to stop. Stopping will become a habit and eventually eliminate your progress.
Do One Thing at a Time. Multi-tasking sounds good but it isn’t. Try focusing on one thing at a time and make sure you’re working on the important things first. You’ll get more done, make progress on your priorities and enjoy it more. The scatter approach sounds cool but it just doesn’t work.
Fast from negativity today. Go for the day without negativity of any kind. Be positive, look for the good, look for the solution, look to live at a higher level. Worry about your own righteousness, consistent behavior, Love, caring, sharing, listening. Let go of negativity and hurt, practice forgivemess today.
Mix it up, keep the variety, maintain the focus. Our bodies and minds like habits, routine and maintenance. To grow you need to positively stress your body and mind to try new things or just keep it interesting. Simple changes, small changes are a great way to start. Sometimes drastic changes are what’s required, usually in the form of crisis, loss of something, change in situation, health issues, family issues. Greet all of it with the attitude of looking for the positive. It’s there...find it.
Make room for progress on your most important goals Fast from Food, Fast from T.V., Fast from Electronics, Fast from Spending, Fast from complaining, Fast from Negativity. Make room for more Love, better relationships, your most important goals, room for better work, room for better health, room for a better life.
Deal with Fear/Stress and be the master of your thoughts. Fear and Stress are constant companions so develop your strategies to deal with them and don’t let the fear thoughts win. Moving to the next level requires the ability to deal successfully with fear and stress...this in one of the reasons you’re here...to deal with these false monsters.
Debt shackles you, get out of it. Debt is like belly fat, it harms you, is a sign of deeper issues and will only be a drag on you until you remove it. It takes discipline and a long term plan with short term habits that will ultimately be the secret.
Your Adventure Starts Today, find it, live it, document it, learn from it, enjoy it. Monday’s can be challenging...lots to do, you feel you’re already under the gun and in stress. Flip it, think differently, see it as an adventure of discovery and experience. Find a way to enjoy it, learn from it, find time for important things that bring you to your goals...
Listen More, Intuit what their needs are. Your partner, colleague, friend, significant other is trying to tell you what they need from you. Listen, try to give what you can to them, support them. It takes a strong person to maintain boundaries and give support to people. Be that strong and wise person, you’ll make yourself welcome wherever you go and whoever you’re with.
Mirror your loved ones as you listen to them, help them let it out. Your empathy for your loved ones is what they’re looking for from you – give it to them! Let them release what’s inside. Listen without judgement. People in pain may not even want to speak of their suffering but rail about something else. Let them do it...give them grace, give them the gift of listening. You’ll need the same thing soon enough!
Involve your partner, friends in your life. Find safe ways to involve your significant others in your life and goals. Any support you receive from others helps keep you going and encourages them by your example. Less talking more demonstration of doing is always best. Free, unsolicited advice or unsolicited self-praise hurts a relationship. Focusing on others is the key. They’ll feel better about themselves and want to be with you and encourage you.
Action orientation – Find a single word to focus your mind and effort towards action. Play, Meditate, Fast, Exercise, Call Customers, Hug, Read...
Identify real stress and fake stress. Fake stress can put you in a tailspin for no reason and take away your peace and sleep. Ask for God to heal your thoughts and focus on doing the things you know will contribute to your life and work life.
Go for it. What’s the big goal? Do that today. The tendency to do anything other than what matters is a human phenomenon – makes no sense but it’s a daily issue. Find joy in doing the important things that will bring you to the place you want to be. Decide where you’re going and do the small, everyday things that will move you in that direction.
Make a bold move and follow through. Decide one new bold thing to do that will bring more progress to your goals and do it. It will take 30 days of daily commitment to see it through but start today. Commit to doing one of these things each month and you’ll move so fast you won’t recognize yourself. Neither will anyone else.
Stop Poisoning Yourself! Learn about the relation of your body to what you eat. Be the champion of what your body needs to thrive. If your body thrives you will thrive. Your mental-creative ability is affected by what you eat. To encourage new ideas you need to eat better, sleep better and reap the benefits of clear mental thinking.
Conquering your addictions/bad habits/negative patterns will propel you forward. When you make serious progress in removing a roadblock from your journey, your progress will speed up at an exponential rate. Pick the next important obstacle to overcome and decide to make the major change today. If you can maintain for a month, it will stick and you’ll have a new reality. Make this month the month you eliminate a thorny issue forever.
Take it to the next level. Focus on one thing for 30 days and see the progress. Choose something very important and focus for 30 days to get past it, master it, make big progress.
Commit to being a lifelong learner. You’ll need to learn something everyday. All learning is remembering and self-teaching. You can learn anything you want to learn. Lose the T.V., Social Media and other time wasters and get busy working on things that take time, study and really matter. Establish a good routine and you’ll benefit from it for the rest of your life.
Pare down your todo list to the absolute most important things and do them. It’s so easy to major on the minor things rather than do the important ones. Focus on the important things first, do them first then move on to the trivial. Make sure to put your personal goal tasks in that important category. It’s easy to let the personal things slip as well.
Stop Listening to “the Voice.” Your internal banter is what’s keeping you from fulfillment. Turn it off however you can. “God, heal my fear thoughts, fill my mind with healing thoughts.”
May 2021
Take in the Moment. When it’s good, stop and take it in. Is the weather perfect? Do you feel good physically? Are you at peace inside? Are things going well? Is your partner happy? Are you happy with your partner? Are the birds singing? Notice what is good and sit with it, let it penetrate you and fill you with its goodness.
Learn what you need to learn to move forward and do it. Your life lessons are very similar to the reoccurring issues with the most important people in your life. You are continually not following the rules that they need for things to work. Likewise you are struggling with the rules the Universe/Your Higher Self/God needs for you to do in order to make your life work better. The propensity to fail at this is puzzling, alarming and often a major nut that needs to be resolved. Get busy resolving it. Once you resolve and move forward you’ll face other challenges but they will be at a higher level and you’ll have the confidence that you’ve resolved the others (that you thought you couldn’t) and you’ll make big progress. It’s worth it on a relationship level and on a personal level.
Stick to your vision (your guns!). Don’t let anyone talk you out of your plan or what you’ve decided to do. It’s easy to be swayed and few people will understand what you’re trying to do. If you listen, you’ll never go for your plan A and you’ll always settle for someone else’s vision or life. It’s not easy to do this but it’s necessary. Well meaning people will give you unsolicited advice
Get Busy with the Work. You know what you should do, follow your own advice. Just do the work, the enthusiasm, spark, ideas, discipline, results will all follow. Leave your excuses, laziness, procrastination at the door and forget who you are, who you’ve been and just do it.
Expect results for work today 6 months from now. There’s always a time lag from cause to effect. What you do this week will have a result 6 months from now. What you’re experiencing now is what you’ve sown 6 months before. Be mindful of what you want to receive 6 months from now and act accordingly.
Surrender your fear thoughts to the Universe and expect the provision you need. Fear thoughts can keep you up at night and steal your peace in the day, don’t let it. The Universe can do things we cannot. We need to believe and trust the Force of the Universe to take care of us and our loved ones. Don’t forget to do the work, it will set other powerful forces in play that will accelerate your progress.
Work as if it all depends on you, pray as if it all depends on the Universe.
Action gets things done, contemplate but then act. It’s easy to get caught up in your head and never move forward or spend your time buying tools of the trade without actually doing the trade. Stop! Make a few quick goals to move forward, follow the path you’re following and moving on. Use the tools, don’t collect them. You may need to focus on just a few things at a time, choose them according to your passion for them.
Dealing with Stress is a primary life lesson we’re here to learn. Stress is not something modern or new. It was for more basic things originally – food, shelter, procreation, protection. Now it’s a host of other things. If you don’t deal with stress you’ll not be able to deal with life. The fundamental illusory nature of stress is a major hurdle to overcoming the domination of stress. “Don’t sweat the small things, and it’s all small things,” is true, true, true...
Wake up and smell the coffee... You only have this moment to live and maximize your life. Take it, run with it, find the job in the small and large things you need to do today. Decide to decide something today that will make a difference in the future. Do it today, it will bear fruit later when you need it. Doing in the moment is powerful and creative – create your life, even more than living it. Lead the life you want rather than what someone else wants. It’s in front of you...grab it.
See aggravations for what they really are...distractions. So much of what aggravates us is really unimportant and trivial. See it for what it is and don’t waste your mental energy on things that don’t matter. Focus on what does matter instead! Do something that’s important to you to move on.
7 Questions to maximize today:
Whose Life am I going to brighten today? What three things am I most grateful for today? What memories am I going to create today? What challenge am I going to overcome today? What value am I going to create today? How much joy can I create for others today? What life-changing decision am I going to make today?
Good Habits are excellent Masters, Poor Habits are harsh Masters...choose your Masters wisely. Short term delight can quickly become a painful consequence. Drinking, poor eating, pornography, procrastination, strong language...all reap consequences that are regrettable quickly. Other long term issues become long term handicaps that are more difficult to turn around. They all start and continue with short term decisions. “I’ll just party a little tonight, I’ll have that junk food, I’ll watch that porno, I’ll get online and spend that money, gamble, make bad comments to someone... Your choices today will create your day tomorrow.
When you meet resistance, stop and choose a different approach. “A soft answer turns away anger, but a sharp word makes tempers hot.” Arguing never brings a positive result. Arguing may be a way of sticking up for yourself and making your opinion known but it seldom brings the result you’re looking for. Be wise, back up and try something new or at least give yourself time to figure it out. Once you’ve said harsh words or done impulsive things it’s impossible to take it back.
Get up early, work on your most important tasks first. Do your routine, make a great day from the beginning. Your morning routine will get you on track from the start of the day and get you “ahead” of your day and its many responsibilities.
Find Common Ground – Connect with People. It’s easy to find reasons for division, it’s better to find places of contact and common ground. Living together in harmony is more problematic now than ever (or is it?!?). Find a way to connect and you’ll increase your joy, network of friends and love among family. Let go of the past and contentious subjects, focus on the good, common ground and love/respect you have for people and hope to receive yourself.
Tell the Story you want to live and the person you want to be. Self-talk can save you or keep you struggling. Decide the story you want to live and tell that story to yourself. See everything as a stepping stone to the story you want for yourself. All conflict, challenges, disruptions will lead you forward on your story if you know what it is and where you want to end up. Let the Universe take care of the details. You provide the story, the Universe will provide you with the means to make it happen. Be flexible and take the Universe’s provisions with humility and thankfulness and you’ll weave your way to the outcomes you desire...or something much better!
Synchronicity – look for it, have faith in it. Faith is believing what you can’t see. Decide what you need in this moment and let the Universe bring it to you. Do you need Gas in a Gas shortage? Let the Universe bring it to you, follow your best hunch and expect results. Do you need/want to pay off your house? Put it out there and follow your best council to make it happen.
The Future is here, Get Serious. Every now and then you take stock of where you’re at and where you want to be and where you want to aim for. What are you investing in? How do you retain what you’ve worked for? Do you want control of your life and future?
Meditation for relief and procrastination avoidance. Take mental-meditation breaks, walks, exercise, play to fill up the tendency to procrastinate. Let the Universe reveal its plan for you and others. Listen for the next step, take action on what you hear.
Mental unplugging is very important. Make sure you’re making time for rest and unplugging. Enjoy the abundance you have! Enjoy playing, interacting with loved ones and just enjoying nature. It’s so easy to get caught up in life and not live!
Understand Your Vendor’s Motives – Buyer Beware! Cars, insurance, investments, medical diagnoses...are ALL BIASED!! Do your own research, get other opinions and be VERY slow to let go of your assets, time, property... Understand where your vendors are getting paid and make sure it’s in line with your goals and interests.
Save Money, understand the mechanics of money and put money away to protect you and your family, it will become important. Financial competence is an important ability to cultivate. It will become important in the moment that you can do the least about it. Do it while you’re strong and young. Be kind to the older version of yourself.
Keep making progress...take the steps forward towards your goal and you’ll get there. Even if you just make 5 minutes of progress forward...it does matter. Do it every day!!
Sometimes it’s enough to still be standing. If you’ve had a difficult day or week or year, sometimes the perseverance is the victory. Celebrate having survived to fight another day. Get ready for new things to happen and the Universe to provide a way forward.
Prioritize your top two personal goals and make sure you work on them each morning. It’s always easy to find a reason to not follow your most important goals. Make a commitment to spend at least 5 minutes on your most important 2 goals each morning prior to work. If you need to get up earlier, do it. If you need to change your routine, do it. You can always find 5 minutes. 5 minutes will turn into 15 or more...do it, JUST DO IT.
Take time to prepare and plan. Plan your work, work your plan. Good planning helps avoid mistakes, helps reduce stress, helps keep focus, keeps you moving towards your goals. Planning with 2 important todo’s before sleeping allows your subconscious to work on something at night with answers in the morning. Place your goals/plans in your subconscious as a question: “How do I increase my sales to meet budget tomorrow?” “Which musical goal is most important to work on tomorrow?” You’ll be amazed at the results.
Make Plans to accomplish your Goals. It’s great to have goals but plans are what happen when you bring your goals to completion. Make plans to reach the results you want. Start with one monthly result that moves you forward and do more as you succeed. Too many plans stall out results, it becomes too much. Start with a reachable plan this month and see it grow.
Stick up for yourself. What you allow will persist. If there’s inappropriate behavior in your work life, home life, church life... don’t be afraid to confront it directly, take necessary steps and leave if you have to. Defending yourself, your family, your friends, your colleagues is part of an adult life and will be appreciated by the people you defend. You’ll feel better about yourself that you didn’t allow someone to bully, name call, say inappropriate things...It’s difficult in the short run but necessary and good in the long run.
Eat the Frog. Pick your most avoidance task and do it first, get it over with. Find the “stress buster” tasks and get on them so you can master your stress, enjoy your life, bring results and make things happen. Your “Frogs” are there as opportunities for growth, teachers, signs of the next step...love them, eat them and keep moving.
Ignore the noise. When the going gets tough the weak throw stones. The real managers look for solutions and get involved in making things happen. The false managers throw stones, engage in name calling, shaming and negative talk as a motivator.
Make the Best of a Situation...It’s all an adventure and a test. When things happen that you have no control over, it’s an adventure, a test, a moment to turn from irritation to gain. Turn a negative into a positive by keeping with your routine/program, working on your goals, maintaining your sobriety from your challenges (alcohol, drugs, eating, spending, sexual issues…). Look for the positive, send out a positive into the world, find the joy/message/rest/humor…march on!
April 2021
Peer Pressure is a challenge at any age. We’re social creatures and don’t like to go against the crowd or feel strange because we don’t fit in. Even at an age when you shouldn’t care, you try to fit in. This is a challenge in business and other situations where you end up drinking or eating something outside of your personal rules. You’ll pay the price for it. Find a way to be bigger than these situations and navigate them without compromising your standards. Easier said than done but it’s a real accomplishment when you do.
T.V. is crack – Let it go, don’t accept any excuses. T.V. is like cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and other time wasters/life wasters. We make excuses for “needing” to do it and waste our time and life for no return whatsoever. Let it go...find a replacement that is life giving and you’ll not go back...for any reason.
Put Yourself Out There – You never really know who it touches. If you’re a musician – PERFORM. Go out in a park and play, go to a nursing home and play, make a YouTube video and play, sit in your backyard/frontyard and play...If you’re a painter – PAINT. Rent a studio, post your work online, paint outside in a park...If you’re a writer – WRITE. Go to Starbucks, a Park, your room, your yard and WRITE. Publish your work, get it out there. Get yourself out there...touch the world. You never know who it will affect and encourage.
Write your mission statement – one sentence. If you know your why, the how and all the rest will follow. Most of us need time to know our why. Focus on how you’ll contribute to the world’s people and it will become clear. Take what you do and find a way to make a world contribution to people’s wellbeing...you’ll find your purpose there.
Focus on key tasks and competencies to get to the next level. Lack of focus is the bane of creative, intelligent people. The “squirrel” syndrome is easy to fall into because you have a lot of interests. Working to a higher level requires work, discipline, passion and a sense of direction...this is work and is often avoided under the excuse of “a lot of interests...” I’m doing research...I don’t know what I want...” The trouble is that we usually know EXACTLY what we need to do and refuse to do it. The universe has given you the keys...put them in the lock, turn the key and follow the path. Don’t get caught up in your mind. If you do, you won’t get there. Take the challenge of following your goals and taking concrete steps towards them every day...A life without regrets is a life worth living! You know what to do, now go and do it...!
Celebrate Moments of Joy. When you have moments of success, happiness, intimacy, or just good feelings, take a few minutes and celebrate. Share it with a loved one. Journal it, make a healthy meal, go take a walk, purchase something you’ve promised yourself… Your gratitude will bring more of these moments..
Look for joy and you’ll find it. Finding the humor and joy in life is an art. If you look for it, you’ll find something to hold on to, to make you smile, to be excited about, to be grateful for...It will change your attitude and the attitudes of those you encounter. Some people just bring joy with them, be one those people for others.
Drama is part of life, work, human experience...find a way to deal with it. Trying to change what is, is a form of insanity. If you find that certain things repeat themselves, try to accept it, break the cycle, find a positive way to deal with it.
Communication is the key to success. All of management is communication. If you can’t get your point across you’ll work for those who can. Are you a person who gives life to people through how you communicate with them? You can probably name those people who had that ability and you’re thankful for them. Commit to being that person for you partner, kids, family, friends, colleagues, employees, customers...Everyone is your customer. Tough words, because the responsibility is yours.
Don’t be afraid of your customers, employees, colleagues, bosses, parents, children. Address the issues as politely and honestly and diplomatically as possible but address them. Letting things go or fester will only cause you pain in the near and long term. Do your best to keep current. Remember that conflict is change waiting to happen and it will be good. Find a way to make it good. Change how you’re doing things, learn something new.
You learn by doing. Play an instrument to learn an instrument, Learn to Love by loving, Learn to forgive by forgiving, learn to move on by moving on, learn to Work by working... There is no other way. Everything else is a false promise.
See your relationships from both sides. Understanding the other perspective and seeing relationships as a mirror of yourself will change everything for you. The difficulties show how you are difficult. Learn from these experiences. Relationships are the primary place to learn what you need to learn in this reality.
Find Your “Why” and the “How” will take care of itself. Know why you jump out of bed in the morning. If it’s not your job, find something that’s important and do it, first thing in the morning if possible. Make what interests you portable if possible so you can do it anywhere you are.
Find what supports you and feeds you and do it! Sharing/Listening with your Partner, a morning Routine, regular intimacy with your partner, daily gratitude, writing, exercising, being in Nature, video instruction on what interests you, journaling...
Be good to your partner, you need the support! Learn how to encourage your partner, learn what they need, give it to them, be thankful when they give it to you. You need the support; they need your support. Your partner can really be a key catalyst to your transformation and likewise you to theirs. Don’t focus on your differences as issues but as ways of completing each other. Your commonalities become stronger as you share and keep up your end of the bargain. Follow through with your partner...they will appreciate and gain strength from your reliability and trustworthiness.
Remember your first love. Music, Studying, Dreams...remember what got you excited, motivated, up early, thinking about, wanting to learn more... Find or rediscover those things periodically and go back to basics. Sometimes it’s helpful to imagine how you would have done things differently at earlier moments in your life. Maybe you can start those things/interests/instruments/activities again and see how it fits today. You may rediscover parts of yourself that you lost or are laying dormant. No matter how long you’ve been on the road, you can start again, do it differently, take a new path or revive and old path. We’re all just living one big moment/the present. It may have taken you a long time to get to this awareness but you’re here and can move forward. Don’t get stuck in regret, do it again the way you wished you had the courage to do it the first time...
Let Your Body Rest and Self-Heal. Night sweats, fevers are indications that your body is dealing with its issues naturally. We tend to want to medicate these healing processes away. Let them happen and embrace them. Rest and dealing with fear/stress are the most important healing processes that we have some control over. Listen to your body and follow its direction...or it will get worse and you’ll be forced to pay attention!
Be humble, realize that the issues you’re having with people is what they’re having with you. Which is it, the chicken or the egg with relationship challenges?? To you it seems to be their problem, to them it’s you. You can only control yourself to try to improve yourself first, don’t call people names, speak your truth and get busy improving yourself.
Keep conflict resolution current. The longer conflict goes on, the worst it gets or it never gets addressed and resolved. Sometime a break helps calm and clarify, so a bit of distance helps. Don’t let it go on too long. The closer the relationship and the more important the relationship the shorter the period needs to be. Light language helps.
Writing helps with goals, troubles, thoughts, focus and manifesting. Use writing to get your thoughts out, deal with internal issues, focus on your goals, track your progress on goals and manifest the things you want. There is a power in writing that can only be experienced (not explained). Just do it and you’ll see.
Be thankful for your challenges, they are leading you somewhere and are your teachers...embrace your lessons with love. All of the issues and challenges I have today are my teachers/friends/angels. The daily struggle of life gives you something to live for: growth-improvement-new experiences-good things. Corrie Ten Boom’s example of the backside of an embroidered scarf is informative. The twists, turns, darkness, contrast, conflicts are knarly to look at from behind but the front is a beautiful work of art...this is our life – often tough and perplexing but ultimately colorful and beautiful.
Don’t be afraid of confrontation with anyone. We live in fear of confronting issues, people, problems, our own addictions. This fear brings suffering, angst and a lot of other unnecessary issues. Usually the confrontation is much less scary than imagined. Often it brings healing and moving forward. It confrontation brings a break, then maybe a break was necessary as well. You’ll only know that from being on the other side of the confrontation. Life really is a learning experience and we’re challenged daily to grow, experience, learn, relearn – we’re the student and the teacher for others and ourselves. Embrace it!
Start with the goal in mind before addressing conflict. We so often get angry and hit back at people, especially love ones. Stop, take a breath, take some time and refocus on what you want from the relationship. If the goal is a better relationship, make sure your conflict resolution is also from a good place and not an attack. Counter attacks don’t bring the satisfaction that you think they will. Counter attacks just bring more contempt and break down the relationship further.
Subsititute Good Activities for Addiction. One way to beat addiction is by squeezing it out with a healing, nourishing, nurturing activity. Rather than watch T.V., play an instrument, read a book, exercise, take a walk, call someone... Do anything during that addiction time to fill up the space. Do it consistently until it becomes the habit. We naturally tend to fall into ruts so creat a "rut" that is lifegiving for you and you'll enjoy the benefit.
Eliminate the T.V. You really can’t be serious about doing anything of consequence if you watch T.V. Strong statement but true. Modern Society has many potholes and T.V. is one of them. There are others, each with their own brand of poison and issues. They all have one thing in common: they take away your life which is your time in mindless activity that could be better spent elsewhere.
Break up your goals into small, achievable, daily rituals that move you forward. “Eat an elephant one small bite at a time.” This is great advise for important, difficult goals that require you to do things you currently cannot do. Make it a simple ritual that you can practice multiple times daily and watch it grow and improve more quickly that you could imagine.
Keep making progress towards your goals. If you stop pursuing your goals, your goals will lose energy and interest in you. Feed the goals/your purpose and it will come back. We all get off track from time to time and our life is waiting for us to turn back and get involved again. You can lose yourself but you’ll find it/yourself again by just taking the steps, journaling and letting your inner self come out. It’s just too powerful to keep it down for very long.
Your path is clear – settle your mind and discover it. Meditation has a bad rap in many ways and mindfulness is a fad. Maybe not! Your inner self, God within, Christ within, Higher Self is trying to get through to you on a daily basis and over a long time during your life. Settle your mind, quiet yourself and listen to your messages. Do something about what you hear TODAY!
Do the work for the sake of the work not recognition. Most of the important thinkers, innovators, writers, musicians were never recognized for their work. This illustrates that the work is important for its own sake and not to gain recognition or reward. Just do what you find motivated to do and see it through. Disregard the recognition motive or money motive...nothing wrong with these things but they are results or consequences not motivators.
March 2021
Force yourself to use and understand what you already have. The desire for the new and the latest can keep you chasing distractions. Get your groove, produce, make something happen before looking to the new and latest. Often the cutting edge of technology does more to cut you than help. If you feel like you’ve really used up what you have and have learned it top to bottom, you’ll be ready for the next step and take it and feel good about the investment.
Keep your routine even if you’re in pain – it's your way out. There will always be an excuse for not keeping your routine/discipline/ritual. This is a test! Keep with it even if it’s tough, makes someone mad...It’s what gives you life and purpose.
Limit your choices and force yourself to create with limited tools. Find those tools you already have in your shed and remember why you wanted them and use them. Limit your creative tools to one or two and see what you can do. You are a musician, creative person and can make something out of limited means...that’s what you do. Show yourself and use it as a creative method.
Get in touch with what moves you, what interests you, what fascinates you, what challenges you and don’t let go of it. You gotta have a Long Term View...Some ideas, projects, interests, goals can take a lifetime and maybe even then you’re not finished! A good friendship, a marriage, music, art, writing, creativity...all take a long time to develop. Be in there for the long haul and celebrate every small victory, understanding, awareness, talent acquired/developed, new thing learned...This “following of your bliss” will lead you to where you need to be even in very dark moments.
Hard work and struggle bring the satisfaction of achievement. Expect to face challenges, expect to grow through struggle, expect to overcome. Take time to reflect and drink in achievement. It’s easy to just see the struggle and not celebrate the successes. Take baby steps if that’s all you have time for. Each move forward, creates momentum and increases the progress.
The Universe is in Control. Often we think we have control over things...we don’t. Our impact is really very small and our control even smaller. Trust and Surrender without Fear is the only way to deal with this lack of control. Take each day as it comes and be prepared for it to be your last...
Fight through the veil of frustration and keep going until you win the lesson, it will be sweet. It’s so easy to get frustrated and give up. Sometimes the successful conclusion is just one more attempt away, one more look at the manual, one more try...keep on it, you’ll be glad to get to the other side.
Synchronicity People bring interesting synergies-connections to just about any endeavor. These people will find you, recognize them and take the plunge. They come into your life for a very interesting learning experience and you will provide the same for them. It’s like handing messages to each other in class in junior high.
Look for your Epiphany and follow it through. It may not be a burning bush or an audible voice but it’s real and happens. A discovery of software that makes your affirmation possible is an excellent example. It could also be an off handed comment from a friend, enemy or loved one. Whatever and wherever it is or comes from, FOLLOW IT! It may be just the beginning of a long journey, but START IT.
Be Inspired by people who have done things that you want to do. If someone else has done what you want to do, it’s possible. If someone else is doing what you want to do, network with them. Let the example of others inspire you. If you can’t find a role model, BE the role model. Mentor others as they come to you and take it as an opportunity to grow more into your dream person...the person that others look up to and want to emulate.
Be comfortable in your own skin. Learn to be good with being alone. It’s challenging to turn off phones, T.V., conversations with friends/family. It’s important to learn how to find a quiet place within yourself that allows you to center, relax, let your creativity flow, look to the future, let go of the past, let the stress pass through you without sticking.
Be comfortable with who you are. Don’t worry about other people’s opinons including your parent’s opinion. Trust that you know where you’re going, you’ll make good choices, you’ll learn from challenging circumstances, you’ll learn from your bad choices as well. There are no mistakes, only chances to learn and grow.
Consistency and Commitment will bring results. It’s so easy to make exceptions, not keep with the program and letting things go. Resist this at all costs. Falling off the wagon doesn’t help relieve anything but only compounds pain. The real issue is to find commitments that are life giving and more productive than the addictive ones...
Learn your lessons, even from teachers of the opposite. I learned love from the loveless, I learned the need for forgiveness from those who refuse to forgive, I learned to let go from those who hold on. Your teachers are right there, learn or you’ll join in their folly. The same teacher will also teach you important lessons and give you the next step, look for that too. Your greatest teacher will be the one inside of you. Those without malice will also be your teachers, learn from them, they are revealing your weaknesses that you need to address.
Get rid of Clutter!!! It’s so easy for certain personality types to hold on and hoard things....let it go and make room for the new and better. When you’re in a transition from fat to slim, old to new...getting rid of things just makes room for the good, new, future and brings joy to the process. This goes for clothes, equipment, knick-knacks, old symbols, software, old thinking, old ways of feeling, old relationships, old thoughts...the NEW and IMPROVED is coming and looking for space to roost.
Do YOUR STUFF! It’s so easy to play other people’s music even when you’re doing experimental stuff. Just do your stuff...even if you think it’s dumb, worthless, noise, not good...just do it and you’ll get better, learn, create something that makes sense to you. Don’t live someone else’ life...make it yours. You’ll know what you like by simply doing it.
Know your why – the how will work itself out. If you know why you’re working so hard it helps with motivation and the how. The universe will take care of the how if you know your why. Why can be projects, things that interest you, your “bliss”, your life’s purpose...Knowing your “whys” will help you understand your purpose and give you a daily roadmap of what to do. Your routine will help with this if it’s designed around things that matter to you. Something as simple as reading a book will propel you forward in unexpected ways. Your curiosity will lead you to things you need to know and your “teacher” will appear because you’re ready and curious.
Listen to your GUT! There will be times when you'll know something is wrong but not know what. Listen to your instincts, watch for signs and give credence to what it shows you. Your mind and thoughts may not help but your inner wisdom will guide you if you let it. Your partner may very well be the person who has the info that you need to know to solve the puzzle!
Deal with “Frazzle” by taking breaks, reaching for the thought that brings peace, give someone a hug... Your daily stress level is something that needs to be managed. Often your stress is simply not real and it’s in your mind so be vigilant to watch your thoughts. The prayer: “Please heal my fear-based thoughts” helps me to get to another place. I use it when I’m up in the middle of the night to get back to sleep...use it often!
Pitch to your strengths – Do what you love and get energy/joy from it. So often we spend too much time and energy on the heavy things...Do what you love and gain strength from it.
Your daily routine will save your life and keep you moving forward even in difficult moments. Use your routine to keep you on track and put you back on track when you fall off the wagon. Do an abbreviated version of your routine if that’s all you can do BUT, DO IT NO MATTER WHAT!!! The commitment will work for you in a way you don’t now understand...
Your actions will show your priorities. Your life is a daily test of your real priorities. If your priority is your family - when it's threatened, you defend it regardless of the cost. If your personal development is a priority, you'll keep with your growth pattern before doing other things. We're constantly demonstrating our priorities...this is life's daily challenge.
February 2021
Take a break, change your scenery, forget about everything, turn off the phone...Tough to do but really necessary, let's see how it goes!
So what stokes the fear and gets you off track? Stress, taking on other people's issues, taking yourself too seriously, taking your work too seriously. Give yourself a break, T on things that give you life and stoke your creativity. Tomorrow will be a better day!
January 2021
I'm really not sure how this whole life change started or why it made sense and I was able to follow through this time...but I'm glad it did take.
I started out obese, unable to stop over eating. I was also struggling with over spending and living in fear. 2020 was a terrifying place to be with the economy freezing up, job security out the window, the world in a funky freefall.
The upside was that I was not traveling anymore and able to spend time with my family. My wife had already decided she was going to get in shape and started a morning exercise routine. I followed her lead and we did it together. After a month or so of this exercise it became part of our life and we were seeing the benefit.
In the midst of this new habit I listened to Steve Gundry's recording about diet. I decided to try a very simple diet: no sugar, no junk food (chips, fried food, popcorn, pizza, french fries, coke...), no alcohol, no sweets. I started eating good protein, nuts, and cut out the garbage. I lost 30 lbs within a few months. My blood work confirmed what Gundry promised.
The next big change was preparing a daily ritual that I would stick to on a daily basis. I always wanted to speedread but never took it seriously. I decided to do it and now I'm reading a book per day. The exercising is a constant. I read the Bible 7 chapters a day from each major part: Torah, History, Psalms, Wisdom, Prophets, Gospels, Epistles. I write in a Gratitute/Evidence Journal, one page per day, I journal on the computer, listen to a Blinkist recording, do PSTEC programming/affirmations, write a Binaural Song per day, practice my music. The ritual is sacred and helps me move forward. Just a few minutes on any task gives me energy and movement forward. I'm still not sure why this is sticking but it is.
I read Anthony deMello's book - Awareness. I was struck by the concept of being aware and losing fear. Maybe the real meaning of life is to learn to lose fear and just be who you are, do what you feel you should do or find interesting and experience life. In this view even the business stress becomes a drama that's unreal and you can hold it lightly because it's not real. Maybe I've come on to something...maybe I'll allow myself to do more of what's important to me and not feel I have to stress to pay for my life!
I've come to the conclusion that we're on this earth to learn how to get beyond Fear and follow our bliss So what do you do with this knowledge/awareness? Act as if there is nothing to fear and follow your bliss Do what you feel you need to do. See life for the game it is and play it, enjoy it and go for the plan A.